LUX  The Missing Two Years
by California Forever
Summary: What happened to everyone in the two years before Lux's Graduation Speech?
1. Chapter 1

'What happened in the two years before Lux's graduation?'

Cate looked down at the people gathered in front of her. Her husband, Ryan was laughing, in the middle of a paint fight with her daughter, Lux, and the father of her daughter, Baze. His two friends, Jamie and Math, were having a drink or two while laughing along. She loved how close everyone had become over the past number of months. At the beginning there was no love lost between Ryan and Baze. She wouldn't say they loathed one another, but it wasn't far off that. Now here they were, having a paint fight while decorating Baze's business: Open Bar.

She wondered what would happen to all of them when she told Ryan her news.

"What is it? What's happened?" asks Ryan, a look of deep concern on his handsome face.

Everyone stops to look at her, but her eyes are trained on her husband.

"We have to talk."

Ryan escorts Cate upstairs to Baze's loft, which had thankfully not been affected when the bar was badly damaged in a fire.

"What happened at the hospital? I thought you were just going in for a check-up after the miscarriage?"

Cate and Ryan had just lost their baby while in the early stages of the pregnancy. As devastating as that was, it had been compounded by the knowledge that she couldn't have any more children.

"Yeah, that all went well. That's not what I need to speak to you about."

Things have been very frazzled between the couple over the past few months. They even split up for a while, only coming together again when they found out the baby was on its way. Now that the baby was gone, they didn't know where things were going to go between them. Work wise, things were fantastic. They were back on air together at the station after Cate's firing, and re-hiring as producer of their show. As for their marriage, they were just taking things day by day.

"I saw Julia at the hospital. She's pregnant, Ryan. Very pregnant."

His chin bounces on the ground. He'd had a one night stand with his ex-girlfriend during a break in his relationship with Cate, and thought it was over and done with.

"It's mine?" he asks more to himself than to Cate.

"Yes, it is. You're going to be a daddy after all," she says, a very nervous smile. She doesn't want to lose Ryan. For all their problems, she really loves her husband. But she also doesn't want to hold him back from forming a relationship with his child. From the start of their marriage, he has always told her of his desire to have children.

Ryan collapses onto the couch behind him. He's usually a very together person, but this has really knocked him for six. She takes a seat beside him, putting her hand on his shoulder. She doesn't know how to comfort him.

"I don't believe it. Why didn't she tell me? She told me it was a false alarm."

"I know. I talked to her for a couple of minutes at the hospital. She said she didn't want to disrupt your life, or our marriage. She thought she was doing the best thing for everyone."

"Keeping me from my child is the best thing? I don't think so. I'm going to speak with her!" he says, climbing to his feet. Cate grabs his arm, pulling him back down to her.

"Ryan I don't think you should see her just yet. You need some time to cool down. You'll only make things worse if you go over there angry."

"I just can't believe this is happening."

"I know the feeling."

"Are you all right?" he asks, realising for the first time that this is very difficult for his wife as well, especially considering what they have been through with the miscarriage.

"I don't know how I feel, to be honest. We have a lot of issues to deal with in our marriage, but I never imagined this would be one of them."

Ryan nods his head in agreement.

Downstairs in the bar, Baze has given his daughter a paint brush, and indicated for her to paint one side of the wall he's been working on.

"Do you think Cate and Ryan are all right up there?" she asks, her mind not on the painting task in front of her.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," he replies. He looks over at his daughter. They have had many ups and downs since they were reunited a few short months ago, but things are finally in a good place between them, and he's determined to keep it that way. "How are you coping with everything that's been happening?"

She stops painting and turns to look at her father.

"I'm doing all right. I'm just worried about Cate and Ryan, that's all. They've been through so much, and I want them to be all right."

Baze realises that the two of them probably don't know everything that is going on between the married couple, but he hopes they will be all right as well. Cate and Ryan have always worked through their problems. He has no reason to doubt that this will be any different. He's not willing to admit this to anyone, not even fully to himself, but there is a part of him that always clings to the hope that he and Cate can be together. Even though he has just ended a relationship, he will always have a soft spot, and deep love, for Cate. Aside from the fact that she's the mother of their daughter.

The two of them return to their painting. They are disturbed when Cate and Ryan emerge through the door, entering the bar.

"Is everything all right?" asks Lux, dashing up to them.

For the first time in a while, Ryan and Cate smile.

"Yes, it's fine. We have some things to work through, that's all," replied Cate. She wants to tell Lux what is happening, but it's not really her place.

Lux looks up at Ryan, who smiles down at her. But it's not his usual big warm smile. Something big is going on, and she wants to know what it is.

"Baze, do you mind if I come back tomorrow and give you a hand with the painting? I'm pretty tired, and I have some homework to finish," she lies.

"Yeah, that's fine. See you tomorrow kiddo." He had been looking forward to spending some time with Lux, but he knows that they have some things they need to discuss.


	2. Chapter 2

After a silent car ride back to the Cassidy/Thomas residence, Cate immediately makes her way into the kitchen, while Ryan crashes down on the couch. Cate starts making a pot of coffee, looking over her shoulder at Ryan, who is making small talk with Lux about school and basketball. But Lux isn't being very responsive, giving mainly yes and no answers. She's concerned, and needs to know what's happening. She loves her new family, and she doesn't want anything to change that.

"Ryan, what's going on? Are the two of you all right?" asks Lux, feeling herself becoming very emotional. Whatever is going on, she doesn't want to make it worse by crying in front of them.

Ryan looks behind him into the kitchen to see Cate coming out to join them. There is a little moment between the couple, trying to work out how to approach this, but they silently agree to tell her everything. If they have learned anything over the past few months it's that keeping secrets is a bad thing to do, and can only lead to more problems.

Cate sits down beside her husband, desperately trying to work out what to say.

"Lux, something happened while I was at the hospital for my appointment," she begins. She looks over at Ryan, who nods and smiles at her sadly. He's still in shock over what is happening, and can't quite take it in. He's hoping that the more he hears it, the more real it will become, but he's not sure it's going to work.

"Are you all right?" asks Lux, rapidly pushing the panic button.

Cate reaches forward, leaning over her husband, and setting her hand over her daughter's cheek, gently stroking her skin.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's nothing like that. But when I was there, I saw an ex-girlfriend of Ryan's. A very pregnant ex-girlfriend," she says.

She doesn't mean to do it, but Lux starts laughing.

"Well that's all right then. I mean, it's nice that your ex is having a baby, but that doesn't really involve you, does it?"

She watches her mother and step-father look nervously at one another, realising there is much more to this story.

"You are involved, aren't you?" she asks Ryan.

"The baby is mine," he answers quietly.

Lux is stunned.

"But, I don't understand. You cheated on Cate?"

"No, no, I didn't. Do you remember when we broke up, after the Hands on a Hybrid Contest? Well, it happened then, before we got back together again."

She looks over at her mother.

"Why did you not tell me about this?"

"Because it was a personal thing between us. We've been trying to work it out between us. And besides, I was upset enough for everyone. Why make things difficult for you as well?"

Lux isn't happy about it, but she accepts that it's a personal thing between them. She just wishes there was something she could do.

"So what's going to happen now?" she asks.

Cate looks over at her husband nervously. She wishes she had a clear answer for her.

"Well, I need to speak to Julia about all this and see what she wants to do," answers Ryan.

"Julia's your ex?"

Ryan nods his head.

"Do you want to be involved with the baby?" she asks. Lux isn't sure which answer is going to make her feel better, but she needs to know where Ryan's head is at.

"Yes, I do. I'm just hoping that Julia is going to make it easy for me."

"Do you think she's going to make an issue out of it? This baby is yours as well. She can't stop you, can she?"

"I'm not sure what the legal practicalities of the situation are. I can go down that road if need be, but first, I need to hear what Julia has to say for herself."

"I can't believe she didn't tell you she was pregnant."

Cate knows how angry Ryan is about that whole situation, so she leaps into the conversation.

"She didn't want to upset things between Ryan and I. But look, that's not the issue right now. The most important thing is to work out what is best for the baby. Ryan will work that out when he speaks with Julia, and then we can move on from there. But don't worry about it, Lux. It'll all work out," she says, forcing a smile onto her face.

"When are you going to talk to her?" asks Lux.

Ryan is silent for a few moments, before reaching into his jeans pocket and lifting out his phone.

"Right now. Excuse me," he says, standing up and heading into the bedroom he shares with his wife. Now that they are alone, Lux asks Cate some questions.

"So how are you about all of this? It must be pretty tough on you, especially so soon after you lost the baby."

Cate fights back tears.

"Yeah, it's been hard. I don't think it's ever a good time to hear news like this, especially from Ryan's perspective. We'll just have to hope for the best. But I do have some good news for you. Ryan and I had our first radio show this morning."

A smile explodes over Lux's face. She is their radio shows biggest fan. She always adored the banter between Cate and Ryan, and was so elated when Cate told her they would be working together again.

"That's fantastic. How did it go?"

"It was amazing to be in the booth with him again. It was as though we had never left."

"That's great. I can't wait to start listening to you guys again." Lux looks over to the bedroom.

"Do you think Ryan is all right? I'm sure he's really mad with Julia for not telling him about the pregnancy."

"That's putting it mildly. He was stunned when I told him."

Suddenly, they can hear Ryan's voice loudly coming from the bedroom. It's not clear enough for them to make out the words, but he's mad.

"What about Julia? Does she seem like a decent person?"

"I don't really know her, but she seemed like a nice woman at the hospital. She kept apologising for lying to Ryan. I just hope she doesn't make an issue out of him seeing their child. It'll mean the world to him if he's able to spend time with the baby."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I just want what's best for Ryan, that's all."

Lux might not have been in her mother's life for long, but she knows she's covering up her true feelings about this, trying to put a brave face on everything.

"It'll all work out, Cate. I know it will."

They smile at one another, just as Ryan emerges from the bedroom.

"So, what did she have to say for herself?" asks Lux.

"She kept saying she was sorry. She thought she was doing the best thing for everyone, and she didn't know if she would have ever told me if you hadn't bumped into one another at the hospital," he says, just about managing to keep hold of his anger.

"Well the most important thing is that you know now. What did she say about giving you access?"

"She wasn't keen at first, she was arguing that it would be difficult for me to maintain two families, but I've managed to talk her around."

Cate's eyes fall to the ground. She hadn't thought of it like that. She looks over at her daughter, who is trying to take everything in.

"Don't worry guys, it'll all be fine," smiles Ryan, feeling a lot more positive about the situation than Cate and Lux combined.


	3. Chapter 3

Cate, Ryan and Lux spend the rest of the evening together, enjoying a movie night while munching on some pizza. It's a lovely ending to a very tiring, hectic day.

As it approaches ten o'clock, Lux climbs to her feet.

"I think it's time for me to go to bed. Night guys," she says, smiling at her mother and step-father as she heads to the little set of stairs which lead to her bedroom in the attic.

"How is she about all this?" asks Ryan, turning to his wife.

"She's doing all right. She's worried about us though."

Ryan's eyes fall to his lap.

"We will be able to get through this, won't we?" asks Cate.

"Yes, of course we will. There are a lot of issues to sort out, but we'll get through it."

An uncomfortable silence descends between the two of them.

"Ok, this is silly. We have to get back to the way things were before Julia's big revelation. We have a marriage to work on, and a radio show to think about. All good, positive things, right?" asks Cate, realising that dwelling on the possible difficulties are just going to drag them down to the bad days before and during their separation when they barely spoke. They managed to emerge from that, and they can come through this as well.

A massive smile pops onto Ryan's face.

"You are absolutely right. Come on," he says, grabbing her hand and leading her into the bedroom.

The next morning, Cate and Ryan are acting like lovesick teenagers. Lux scoffs at them.

"Guys, you are making me look mature right now."

"Oh you're one to talk. What about you and Jones?" smiles Cate, holding Ryan's hand as they take a plate of pancakes to the table.

Lux is silent for a few moments. Cate has got her there. With the drama surrounding her last liaison with her teacher, Eric, her developing relationship with Jones is perfect.

"Maybe so, but at least we can control ourselves," she says, grabbing one of the pancakes from Ryan's plate and taking a big bite out of it. She smiles up at him as he gently slaps her on the shoulder.

A car horn honks outside.

"That'll be Baze. See ya'll later," says Lux, grabbing her bag and jacket.

As she heads to the door, she has a look at the clock hanging on the wall. She shakes her head at just how early it is. She can't believe Cate and Ryan are up this early every morning, five days a week.

"Hey, why are you heading to school so early?" shouts Cate.

"Basketball practice. Baze has decided that the more we practice, the better we'll get," grins Lux. She had to admit that she loves her father's determination, but she really doesn't think the Wasps have a chance in hell of winning, even with Tasha on their team. Although they won't have her skills for another few weeks, as she had just been sent to juvenile detention. Lux was counting down the days until she was back.

Happiness explodes within her when she lays eyes on Baze. The sight of his little blue jeep always makes her smile. Even the memory of her very first driving lesson at its wheel, when she smashed into the large flower pot outside Cate's place makes her smile.

"Morning kiddo. Ready to shoot some hoops?" asks Baze as she leaps into the passenger seat.

"Oh yeah. Counting down the seconds," she answers, looking over at her father who shakes his head. He's used to his daughter's sarcasm.

"How are things between Cate and Ryan?"

"I think they'll be fine. They were all over one another this morning, so that's a good sign."

Baze nods his head slowly. He really doesn't want that image running through his mind.

"Did they tell you what Cate's news was?"

He realises he's being very nosy, but he's concerned about Cate, and Lux's part in their relationship. Or at least that's what he's telling himself.

"Yeah. It's a real long story, and I don't think it's my place to tell you. Sorry," she says, feeling bad about it, but she recalls her mother's words about some things being personal between a husband and wife, and it's not up to her to discuss it.

"That's cool!" he answers, although he can't help feeling curious.

After doing their radio show, Ryan heads over to Julia's apartment to discuss things. He has never felt so nervous in his life. He thought proposing to Cate, the first time, had been nerve racking, but this is so much worse.

He knocks the door gently, a part of him wishing he wasn't doing this. When she opens the door his eyes fall to her very pregnant stomach. Hearing about something is one thing, seeing the very obvious evidence is something different altogether. Julia looks a little embarrassed, stroking her large stomach nervously.

"Hey, Ryan. Come on in."

He walks into her apartment, his uncomfortable feeling intensifying. This is the same apartment he and Julia had shared while they were together, and it feels very strange to be here again, especially under these circumstances.

"So, how are things with you? How are Cate and Lux?" asks Julia, taking a seat on the couch. She has already set out a tray filled with coffee, a glass of water and cookies. She always was very prepared.

"Julia, I appreciate your concern about Cate and Lux, but they aren't the issue right now. We need to talk about the baby, and what's going to happen after it's born."

Julia nods her head, her eyes fall to her lap.

"I'm sorry Ryan. I really didn't mean to make things difficult for you."

As much as Ryan would like to argue the point that she should never have lied to him about the pregnancy, the baby is the most important thing. He needs to know what is to happen with the baby, and what his part will be in its life.

Ryan spends the rest of the afternoon at Julia's apartment, sorting everything out. They decide that, with Ryan's early start to the day, he can take the baby after finishing at the station, while she heads to work part time. That way, they are both able to care for the baby, and bond with the child.

After getting things worked out, they catch up on what they have been doing in their lives.

"Have you been seeing anyone?" asks Ryan, reaching for another cookie.

"Nothing serious. There have been a few relationships here and there, but none of them lasted very long."

There is a part of Ryan that couldn't be happier at that piece of information. Could it be that he has ruined her for other men? He laughs at himself silently. That's really not where his head should be right now.

"How's married life?" asks Julia.

"Great, for the most part. I'm sure you've heard that we've had a few issues, but we're working through them."

It always freaked Ryan out that Julia had kept a close relationship with his parents, his mother in particular. He knows that it bothers Cate, as she suspected that his mother preferred Julia over her. He always told her that this wasn't true; his mother adored her, but she had to accept that Julia and his mother had become very close during their relationship, and he couldn't make them not see one another now that they were no longer together. She said she agreed with that, but it was still a tough thing to come to terms with.

"Yeah, I've heard. I was so sorry to hear about the miscarriage. How is Cate?"

"She's all right. It's just going to take some time to get used to the loss, and the new situation?"

"What new situation?"

Ryan looks up, a little disorientated. He assumed his mother had told her everything. Or that Cate had told her at the hospital.

"We found out that Cate can't have any more children, so Lux is it," he says, trying to force a smile onto his face.

Julia's heart breaks at his words. She moves to his side, giving him a hug. While they were together, he always said he wanted to have children. She can only imagine how heart breaking it is for the two of them. But she feels a little sadder for Cate, given that Ryan will be a father in a matter of weeks, but not with her.

"I'm so sorry. The two of you must be devastated?"

"Yeah, it's going to take some getting used to. But we have Lux. And maybe we can adopt in the future. There are always options."

She smiles at his positive attitude. Typical Ryan!

A silence descends between the two of them. Julia senses a strange vibration, and only figures out what it is when he reaches into his pocket and lifts out his phone.

"Cate's looking for me. I better get going. Thanks for the coffee, and the chat," he says, climbing to his feet and heading to the door. After opening the door, Ryan turns and gives his ex-girlfriend a hug. He's glad they have come to a resolution about the baby.

"I have an appointment in a couple of days. Do you want me to text the details to you?" she asks. She knows how careless his memory can be, and so she is used to texting important information to him.

"That would be great, thanks. See you soon," he says, smiling warmly at her.

"Bye!"

Julia closes the door after him. She can't help but wonder what the future has in store for them.


	4. Chapter 4

When Ryan got back to the house, he found Cate and Lux sitting at the kitchen table, eating dinner, which tonight was a pepperoni pizza for him and Cate, and a vegetarian pizza for Lux.

"I was beginning to think you were lost," says Cate, trying in vain to hide her annoyance. He had given her the impression he would be at Julia's for a couple of hours. It's now give past six hours.

"I know, I'm sorry about that. The time got away from us," he replies, sitting beside his wife and grabbing a slice.

"Is everything all right between the two of you now?" asks Lux.

"Yeah, we got everything worked out. I'm going to take the baby while she's at work, but it'll be living at Julia's mainly."

He looks over at Cate, who has a very perturbed look on her face.

"Is this all ok with you, Cate?"

"Yeah, it's fine. It's just a lot. I guess I'm just realising now how big this is going to be. I I got used to seeing you a lot more. A lot of your time is going to be taken up with the baby now. It'll all take a bit of time to get used to, that's all."

Ryan looks over at Lux, who is gently nodding her head.

"Do you feel the same way?"

"Yeah, I do. I like having you guys here when I get home. And things like this, having dinner together. I don't want that to change."

Ryan puts his slice of pizza down.

"All right guys. I know this is all a lot of change. It is for all of us, and it's a lot to get used to. But I'm going to work hard to make sure it doesn't disrupt our lives too much. I'll be with the baby mainly while Julia is at work, so that should leave my evenings free for our time together. Julia understands I have another family, and she doesn't want to encroach on our lives any more than necessary."

Cate and Lux nod their heads, smiling at him. He knows that this is a lot to take for his wife and step-daughter, but he's doing his best to accommodate everyone. They really appreciate that.

The next morning, and Ryan and Cate are up bright and early for work. As Lux doesn't have early basketball practice they leave her to have a small lie in before getting up for school.

The radio show goes well, everything in their working life is going fantastically, even if their personal lives are a little up and down.

Now that Cate is working as a talk show dj again, the station gave the producer job back to Alice. Cate is ecstatic to have her friend back in the booth with her.

"Do you want to head off somewhere for lunch?" asks Ryan, leaning down to kiss his wife. Cate looks past him to see that Alice is in the control booth, busy on the computer.

"Um, you go on. I'll see you at home in a while. I need to speak with Alice," she replies. She needs to talk to someone who isn't directly involved in everything.

Ryan knows exactly what he's up to, so he smiles at her and heads out.

Alice emerges from the control booth, jumping for her life when she sees Cate standing in front of her.

"Oh hey, I didn't realise you were still here."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I just really need to talk."

This isn't like Cate, so Alice's alarm bells are ringing in her ears.

"Are you all right?"

"Physically, yeah. But something has happened, and I need someone to talk to about it. Someone who isn't involved."

"Sure, I understand that. Come on, let's go and get something to eat. I'm starved," she says, returning to the booth to grab her purse before escorting Cate to a little café near the station that they both love.

After ordering their lunch, Cate tells Alice everything that has happened. She already knew about the miscarriage, and Cate's inability to have any more children, and how devastated she was about it, but she never expected this new development.

"Oh honey, I am so sorry. How's Ryan coping with it? He seemed to be all right this morning."

"He was as mad as hell when I told him that Julia was pregnant. He couldn't believe she had lied to him about it. But now that he and Julia have worked out their responsibilities for the baby he seems to be a lot calmer."

"But you're not?"

"I don't know how I feel to be honest. On one hand, I'm glad that he's finally going to be a father. He's wanted to have a child of his own for so long. But it's really difficult when I'm not the mother."

"Do you think it's going to change your relationship with him?"

"How can it not? He's going to have a child with another woman. And this is the same woman he still has feelings for."

"You don't think he's going to leave you, do you?"

Cate's silence answers her question.

"Cate! I know how difficult and trying things are between the two of you, but he adores you. This is the man who proposed to you, what, two or three times? That is love," she says, a warm smile on her face.

"I hope you're right, Alice. I just don't know if I'm coming or going," she says, her eyes resting on the mug of coffee in front of her.

"Maybe you and Ryan need some alone time. What about spending a weekend away somewhere? I'm sure Baze would love to have Lux stay with him for a few days."

"I don't think Ryan will want to go anywhere. Julia has another couple of months to go, but he won't want to take the chance of the baby coming early."

"I'm not saying you go anywhere far. You could stay somewhere in Portland. Find a nice little b&b somewhere. I think the two of you just need some time be alone."

Cate thinks it over for a couple of moments. The two of them had started a stay-cation shortly after their marriage, but it hadn't gone too well. That was the trip where Cate found out about Julia, and she had returned home without her husband. Maybe a second stay-cation would be the making of them.

"That's a perfect idea. Thank you Alice, I am so glad you're back," she says, climbing to her feet and throwing her arms around her friend. For the first time in a long time, a large smile spreads onto Cate's face.

A stay-cation could be just what they need.


	5. Chapter 5

Cate bursts through the front door of the house in a flurry, excitement bursting from her pores. Ryan is sitting at the kitchen table, going through his emails on the laptop.

"You're a bundle of energy. What's going on?" he asks, laughing.

"I went out to lunch with Alice, and she gave me a fantastic idea. She suggested we go on a stay-cation," she answers, crashing down on the chair beside him. Ryan squirms a little in his chair.

"I'm not sure. Remember the last one we went on? That wasn't exactly a success, was it?"

"Yeah, but we weren't being honest with each other then. Now, we have no secrets."

She leans forward so that she is face to face with her husband, the smile on her face spreading. Ryan can't help it; a smile spreads across his face. Her enthusiasm is truly contagious.

"All right, let's do it. Any ideas on where you want to go? And when?"

"I'm not sure where, but we can hit the internet and find ourselves a nice spot. Hopefully this weekend? Is Lux back yet?" she asks, moving into the kitchen to get some coffee. There is a box of donuts sitting to the side of the kettle, so she grabs one and devours it before returning to her husband's side. She finds that he is already on the hotel case, and is clicking through a few options.

"Lux called earlier to say she was going to go to Baze's for dinner. She'll be back later. Which to choose? Which to choose?" he says, smiling, his eyes trained on the laptop screen.

"There's a good few options?"

"I've found a couple of nice places. I'll get a list together and decide which one we want to go with."

When Lux comes home after a couple of hours, they tell her their good news.

"Fantastic. Does that mean I can stay with Baze?"

"If it's all right with him, then yeah!" answers Cate.

Lux bounces as she heads up the stairs to her bedroom in the attic.

"You know, I think she's more excited about the idea of spending the weekend with Baze than anything else," adds Cate.

"Probably. You know how close those two are."

"Yeah. There is definitely some strange bond between a father and daughter. I never understood what that was all about," replies Cate.

Cate's own father walked out on her and her little sister when she was fairly young. She doesn't recall having a strong bond with her father, and since he has pretty much forgotten about her existence since, the only experience she has had of the father/daughter bond is through Lux and Baze.

"There was a definite bond between Paige and my dad. I have to admit, I envied it a little," adds Ryan.

"Are they still as close now?" asks Cate. She has mixed emotions about Ryan's little sister, Paige. She is a man-crazy party animal, which makes a night out with her very entertaining, to say the very least, but she also has a large irresponsible streak. She burned down Baze's bar, and after stealing $300 from Cate, she and Ryan ended up paying Baze the remainder of Paige's portion of the damages. She hopes that Paige will re-pay them, but she sadly doubts it.

"They went through a bit of a rough spot after dad found out about the whole Baze situation, but he can't be mad at her forever. They've already made plans for her to spend Christmas with them, especially after she bailed on Thanksgiving."

Cate smiles. It's nice that they are all so close. She wishes she had that experience with her own father.

Cate and Ryan make a decision on a stay-cation hotel quite quickly. They aren't too fussy, knowing that they will be spending most of their time in their hotel room. After making a reservation for the coming weekend, she makes sure that Baze is all right with looking after Lux. He's almost as happy as his daughter.

The next morning, Cate and Ryan have already left for work. This is their last show before their weekend, and to say they are looking forward to the end of the working day is an understatement. Cate can't stop clock watching. Ryan just watches his wife's eyes falling to the computer screen in front of her, smiling. Even their topic of the morning: first date etiquette, is failing to stop her constant craving for the time to be over.

During a commercial break, Alice comes into the booth. "Cate, can you focus on the subject. You told the woman who called in asking for advice for her first date with a new guy to make sure she brought a toothbrush with her!"

Ryan lets out a little laugh.

"Well, it's practical, isn't it? She may well eat garlic or onions on the date. She doesn't want to enter into the end of the night kiss reeking of that stuff, now does she?"

"And so you weren't really packing your suitcase then?" asks Alice.

"Well. No. Of course not," she says, looking over at Ryan for support, but he's too busy laughing.

"All right, you got me. I promise, I'll be better," she says.

Alice dashes back into the control booth, telling the couple that they are back on air.

Meanwhile, at school, Lux meets up with her boyfriend Jones at lunch.

"So, how's your day going?" he asks, munching on his burger. Lux looks at him in horror. She will never understand his love for these things. They look and smell horrendous.

"It's all right, although I'm still getting strange looks. I think people might know about Eric and I," she whispers.

Jones nods, his mouth full of burger.

"Yeah, I've heard a few whispers myself. Don't worry about it. Some people here just like to gossip," he answers. He knows that she was having a relationship with their teacher, but he doesn't want to think about it. They are finally in a relationship, and he doesn't want to think about her past dalliances.

Lux decides to change the subject.

"So, this weekend, I'm going to be with Baze. Cate and Ryan and taking off to a hotel for a couple of days, so do you want to come over?"

"Are you sure Baze won't mind?"

"No, I was talking to him earlier and he said you could come over for dinner. That will probably mean a barbeque on the roof, but still," she laughs. Baze is a terrible cook, but his barbeques are legendary.

Jones is silent for a few moments.

"Do you not want to come over?" she asks, feeling a little hurt at his hesitation.

"Yeah, of course I do, I'm just not sure your dad likes me."

Lux can't help but smile.

"He likes you, he's just very protective."

"He seems to have gotten worse recently," he adds quickly, taking another bite of his burger.

Lux has to admit that Baze has become a lot more protective recently, but she can't blame him. Her friend, Tasha, was in juvenile detention because of an incident that happened at her foster parents home. When the case came to court, it all came out that Lux had once been fostered by the same couple, and that the father had abused her. Although her foster mother knew about it, she didn't do anything. It knocked everyone for six, and all three of her parents were much more concerned about her, keeping a close eye on her. Cate and Baze were particularly intense about it; the only rational voice in the story was Ryan, who managed to calm Cate down a little. Baze's roommates, Math and Jamie were working on calming down Baze, but with mixed results.

Jones knew a little bit about the case, and was aware of Tasha being in juvenile detention because of it, but he never pushed for information, believing that Lux would tell him all about it when she was ready.

"Don't worry about Baze. Will you come over?" she asks, pleading a little. She wants her father and boyfriend to get on well.

A massive smile pops onto Jones' face.

"All right, I'll be there."

Lux climbs to her feet, throwing her arms around him.

"Fantastic!"

That afternoon, Ryan and Cate are busy packing for their trip when Lux comes home from school.

"Are you guys all ready to go?" she asks, realising that she'll have to pack a few things of her own. She has some clothes that she keeps at Baze's place, but since Jones will be there for dinner the next night, she wants to have something special. She quickly picks out a beautiful lavender dress Cate had just bought her.

"We will be, once your mother decides on how many pairs of flip flops she wants to bring with her," replies Ryan. He knows his wife well enough to know that this was inevitable, but it still bugs him when it happens. Lux can only smile. She's just the same way.

"That's a very important decision to make," she laughs.

Cate emerges from their bedroom.

"Are you still complaining about my flip flop quandry?" she asks, throwing three pairs into the small bag sitting on the couch.

Ryan just shakes his head, putting some shirts and trousers into a suitcase. He made a mental note to use a suitcase with wheels this time. He will never forget hurting his back during their last stay-cation because of the lack of wheels on their luggage. He's not going to make that mistake again.

"Lux, are you all set to go to Baze's? We can drop you off on the way to the hotel," offers Cate.

"Fantastic. I'll go and throw some things into a bag," she says, dashing up the stairs.

"Do you think she'll be all right? She's been through so much recently?"

Ryan moves to stand in front of his wife, gently kissing him on the forehead.

"She'll be fine, Cate. She has been through hell recently, but keeping her cooped up isn't going to help things."

"I know, I know, you're right. I just want her to be all right."

"Everything will be fine. Now, let's get ready to go. We have a stay-cation to enjoy!"


	6. Chapter 6

Lux drops her bag onto the bed behind the shower curtain in Baze's loft, otherwise known as her bedroom.

"So, what's the plan for the weekend?" she asks, emerging from behind the curtain. Her father is in the kitchen, talking with Math.

"Well I was thinking we could have a movie night tonight, order in some pizza. How does that sound?"

"Perfect. And then tomorrow Jones is coming over for one of your barbecues. Or should that be infamous barbecues?" she adds excitedly.

"Yeah," says Baze, looking over at Math with a nervous look on his face.

"What's the matter? Do you not want Jones to come over?"

"It's not that. I'm just a little cautious about the little dude, and his intentions towards you."

Lux starts laughing. He sounds like a father from the fifties. She looks over at Math in the hope of some support, but he's just watching them.

"Come on, it's not like you've never met Jones before. Math, you're his teacher. You know he's a good guy, right?

He nods his head.

"He is a nice kid, but your dad is just worried about you, Lux. Especially after everything that happened between you and your last couple of boyfriends," he says, almost whispering the last sentence. He doesn't like bringing up Bug and Eric Daniels, but she does have a track record of bad, unsuitable boyfriends.

"You don't need to worry, honestly. Jones is a good guy. I know you'll grow to love him as much as me," she smiles, feigning confidence. As much as she would like Baze and Jones to get along and become friends, she suspects it won't happen. Even though he's only looking out for her best interests, he's always going to be suspicious of the men in her life.

There is an uncomfortable silence before Math breaks it.

"So, what movie do we want to watch first? Something nice and gentle? How about a nice romantic comedy?" he offers, looking between father and daughter in turn.

"No way!" they reply in unison, laughing at Math and his love of chick flicks.

"All right then, what?"

"Dude where's my car?" says Baze.

"Perfect. Where's the disk?" asks Lux, heading straight to the little dvd collection they have sitting at the side of the big screen television.

"It should be near the top. I was just watching it a couple of days ago. I'll order the pizzas," says Baze, grabbing the telephone.

Math looks between the two of them in horror. They truly are father and daughter. They even like the same silly movies.

The three of them don't last long. After knocking back the pizza, they all fall asleep before the end of the movie.

When Lux opens her eyes, the sun is beaming through the window behind her shower curtain wall. She looks over to find that Math has gone, presumably heading off to bed, while Baze's large form is spread over the couch, a quilted blanket keeping him warm.

She climbs to her feet and heads into the kitchen, making a pot of coffee. Just then, the bedroom door slides open. Math emerges, wiping his eyes, trying to wake himself up a little.

"Good morning sunshine," she says, a wide smile on her face.

Math stops in the middle of the room, staring at Lux as though she had turned bright blue.

"Why are you so cheery?" he asks, grabbing the coffee pot from her.

"Because I'm sixteen, and can't drink beer yet. I think you consumed your share as well as Baze's."

Math's mind wanders back to the night before, when he offered his friend numerous beers, and he refused them all. He's certainly taking his fatherly responsibilities very seriously. His mind comes back to the present time, and the little drummer boy living in his head. He rubs his forehead, attempting to stop the knocks.

"Yeah, I guess I did. Is Baze still asleep?"

"Dead to the world on the couch," she smiles. Now she knows where she has inherited her ability to sleep like a log. Tasha always said she could sleep through a hurricane.

"Sounds about right. What are your plans for today?" he asks.

"Think I'll hang around here and give Baze a hand with the barbecue. I want to make sure it all goes well," she comments, realising that she's hungry. She grabs a bagel and pops it into the toaster.

"You do know that Jones and your dad are never going to be the best of friends, don't you? It just doesn't work that way."

"They could be the exception?" she asks, hopefully.

"Yes, they could be, but try not to be too disappointed if it doesn't happen. Your dad is looking out for you, that's all."

Lux nods her head. She knows he's right, but she would love it if they became friends. Two of the most important men in her young life, and it would make her very happy if they got on well.

Eager to change the subject, Math asks another question.

"Have you heard from Tasha recently?"

"Yeah, I talked to her yesterday. She can't wait to get out and come back here. She's even looking forward to going back to school."

"How's she coping with life in juvenile detention?"

"She's doing all right. Tasha's a tough girl, but I think she'll be a lot happier when she's free and back in her apartment."

"Is there someone staying in her apartment, to keep it safe?"

"No, but it's safely locked up. And the landlord is aware that she's coming back. He's keeping a close eye on things."

"It's good that the judge is allowing her to return to assisted living when she gets out. She would have been stuck otherwise."

"Tasha would probably be heading straight back to Sunnyvale. I'm so glad the trial ended the way it did. We were all so lucky," she says, pouring herself a mug of coffee. She doesn't generally like to talk about the trial, but she has always felt comfortable with Math. Not only is he a good, and a favourite teacher of hers at Westmonte but he is also a good friend of Baze's. Plus, Cate and Ryan trust him. You can't get much more responsible than that.

"Not long to go now, right?"

"Nope. And I'm planning the biggest party for her when she gets out."

"I'm sure she'll love it," says a yawning Baze. He stretches as he sits up on the couch. "Good morning you two. Coffee on?"

"That it is!" smiles Lux, pouring him a mug.


	7. Chapter 7

Lux and Baze spend the morning and early afternoon getting ready for the barbecue. Math tells them he has some papers to grade, but promises to be present at the barbecue.

"I wonder how Cate and Ryan are getting on?" asks Lux.

"I'm sure they're having a great time," smiles Baze.

The father and daughter team descend into small talk as they chop vegetables and get the food ready. When they hear a knock at the door, Lux bounds from her spot in the kitchen and dashes to the door, eager to be the first to greet Jones. She opens the door to a grinning boyfriend. He hands her a large bottle of soda and a large chocolate cake. She smiles at the cake, knowing that she's going to love every moment of consuming it later.

"Come on in. Are you ready for some Cassidy/Bazile fun time?" asks Lux.

"Oh yeah, can't wait," he answers anxiously.

"Are you nervous?" she asks incredulously, even though she is feeling anxious herself.

"A little, yeah. I haven't spent a lot of time with your dad, and I'm not too sure what to expect."

Lux is glad she's not alone in her nervousness.

"I know the feeling, but everything will be all right. Baze just wants the chance to get to know you a little better, that's all."

"Even though he's the one who set us up in the first place?"

"Yeah. He trusts you enough to have done that, but now that we're dating, he wants to get you know you better."

They link hands before heading up the stairs into the loft apartment. There, Baze is waiting for them, a plate of burger rolls in his hand.

"Hey little dude, are you ready for some food?"

"Always."

"Fantastic, let's get our food on!" he says, showing them out to the little area to the side of the building that he uses as a garden.

At the hotel, Cate and Ryan have spent their time away so far walking around the room in their bath robes. Now they're waiting for room service. They are getting back to the relationship they enjoyed when they first started dating, and loving every moment of it.

"With all the drama of the past few days, I forgot to tell you who I bumped into a couple of days ago?" starts Cate, only leaping out of bed when there is a knock at the door. Her stomach starts rumbling at the thought of food.

Ryan is sitting up when she returns to the bedroom. She knows he's probably more eager to dive into the food than know the outcome of her story, but his curiosity will get the better of him. It always does. He grabs a couple of fries from the plate before settling back onto the bed.

"So, who did you bump into?" he asks, waiting for his wife to set the tray of food and drinks down between them before reaching forward and grabbing some more fries.

"Kelly!"

Ryan almost chokes on his fries.

"You're kidding! How was she? I'm sure she's pretty mad after getting fired from the station?"

Kelly had been given Cate's job of co-host of Morning Madness after she was fired by their boss, Trina. Cate and Kelly hadn't always seen eye to eye, but the situation was made more fraught when Cate was re-hired as producer of the show. They butted heads quite a few times, but by the end of it they had come to respect one another.

"She was a little bit upset about it to begin with, but she figured it was the best thing that could have happened. Her book has been doing well, and she was getting calls from her publisher for a follow up. Now she has the time to indulge in that," replies Cate, taking a few fries before he eats them all.

Ryan starts laughing. "Some of the arguments we got into; on and off air. She is quite a character."

"That she is. I don't think I'll ever forget her. She said hello, by the way. And she was asking after Lux."

"That's sweet of her. I hope she does well."

"Yeah, me too. Look at us, moving on, getting stronger. We rock!" laughs Cate.

Ryan doesn't answer, he just grins at his wife.

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just nice to see you so happy and relaxed. Especially after, you know, everything," he says quietly.

Cate's smile drops from her face. This is the first time in a while that she has thought about the baby they lost, and about the baby Ryan is expecting with his ex, Julia. He instantly regrets his words.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring all that up again. I'm just happy that we're getting our marriage back on track."

"It's all right. We have been through a lot recently, but we've come through it. Hopefully stronger than before."

Ryan smiles, leaning over to kiss her.

"Love the way you think!"

Meanwhile, back at Baze's loft, he and Jones are getting on like a house on fire. Jones is making Baze relive his high school days, where he was the most popular kid in school. He was the beloved quarterback, who had girls drooling all over him. He never had to worry about grades or academic success, because he was confident that his life would continue as it had been in school. The truth was a shock to him, but he has come through it.

Now, if only he can prevent Jones from making the same mistakes. If not for the fact that he's close to his daughter, he's also a good kid, and he only wants the best for him.

"So Jones, what are your plans for when you leave high school? You only have a couple of years before high school is over."

Jones looks over at Lux, who smiles at him. She hadn't known what to expect from this together time between her boyfriend and father, but she hadn't expected questions on his life aspirations.

"Um, I'm not sure. I haven't really thought about it. I'm just concentrating on my life as it is right now," he answers, taking a sip of soda.

"Well don't you think it's time you thought about your future? Trust me, you don't want your years in high school to become the highlight of your life," he adds, thinking back over his own attitude during high school. He thought the world was his oyster, and that everything would fall at his feet, just as it had in high school. He was truly mistaken. If Lux hadn't come back into his life, he dreads to think where he would be right now. Probably still aimless, going from woman to woman, spending his days sleeping after working and drinking every night.

He looks over at his daughter, who clearly isn't very happy with him.

"Don't worry Baze, Jones will be just fine. We both will."

"Will you? Really? Have either of you thought about what you're going to do when you leave school? What college you want to get into? What career you want?"

"Baze. Can we drop this subject? We haven't worked out what we want to do for the rest of our lives, but we are considering it. So please, can we focus on just having a good time?" she says, shouting a little. She knows her father is only looking out for her best interests, but berating the two of them into making decisions right this moment isn't the way to go.

Baze sighs heavily.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Jones, do you want another burger?"

The two men smile nervously at one another.

"Yes please, that would be great."

Lux grins at the two men in front of her. When everything is taken under consideration, she really is a very lucky girl. She has a very loving, patient boyfriend, and a very protective father who adores her. These are the relationships she dreamed of having while living at Sunnyvale.


	8. Chapter 8

The weekend comes to an end, far too quickly for Cate and Ryan, as they are now heading back to work, while Lux and Baze are going back to school and work respectively. Lux is looking forward to the school day being over. Things are still a little strange for her since the whole issue with her former teacher, Eric Daniels, has come to light, even though students don't know that she is the girl involved. Besides, she wants to know how things went between Cate and Ryan. They have been through a lot recently, and she is eager to make sure that their stay-cation went well.

Meanwhile, at the radio station, Cate and Ryan are delighted when Alice tells them that their ratings are at an all-time high. Viewers are elated to hear the couple together again.

"That's fantastic news. I take it Trina knows?" asks Cate. She's not a massive fan of Trina, and she knows the feeling is mutual. She'll never forget Trina's comment that Cate's voice gave her night blindness.

"Oh, she knows. You know what Trina's like. She didn't say congratulations, but she did say she's glad that you have finally stepped up to the plate."

Cate's eyebrows reach for the stars. Nothing that woman says or does would surprise her. Even though she wants to progress in this business, she's not sure if she wants to get to Trina's level. Not if it turns a person into the emotionless workaholic that Trina is.

"So how was the weekend away?" asks Alice.

"It was fantastic. I think it really helped us. Thanks so much for putting the idea into my head," responds Cate. Ryan smiles over at her.

"Great, I'm glad that it went well. How was Lux?"

"We haven't seen her yet. We'll catch up tonight when she gets home from school."

"Send her my best," says Alice, before being called into the control booth for a phone call.

Ryan immediately turns to give his wife a hug.

"So, what are our plans for this afternoon? Lux won't be home for another couple of hours," he beams.

"Well, how about we get some lunch, and then see where the afternoon takes us," grins Cate.

"Sounds like a plan!" replies Ryan before kissing his wife and escorting her out.

That afternoon, Lux bounds into the house. She finds Cate and Ryan sitting on the couch. Cate is leaning against her husband, their hands linked in front of her.

"Well, I guess the stay-cation was a success?" she giggles.

"That it was. How did things go at Baze's?"

Lux's stomach falls to her feet. She hadn't mentioned Jones coming over to the loft, and she's a little apprehensive about how her mother and step-father will take the news. With everything that happened during Tasha's court case, and then with Eric, Cate isn't keen on her spending time with boys. She doesn't know Jones as well as Baze, and so Lux knows she's not going to be impressed. She drops her school bag and heads into the living room.

"Um, it went well. Jones came over on Saturday for dinner. We all had Baze's barbecue," she says, smiling as she sits on the little chair in front of Cate and Ryan.

Cate sits forward, ready to explode at her daughter. Ryan grabs her gently by the shoulders and pulls her down towards him again.

"How was the barbecue?" he asks brightly, wrapping his arms around his wife's shoulders, intent on keeping her where she is. Lux smiles at Ryan. She's so relieved that he's there with them.

"It was great. Baze and Jones are starting to get to know on another."

"That's fantastic. I'm glad the two of them are becoming close. You'll have to invite Jones over here for dinner sometime. Cate and I would love the chance to spend some time with him as well, isn't that right honey?" he says, looking down at his wife, but still maintaining his hold on her. She looks up at him before looking across at her daughter. She can see the pleading in both sets of eyes.

"Absolutely. Any time that suits," she says, forcing a smile onto his face.

"Great. I'll find out when he's available. Thanks guys. Well, I have some homework to do. Give me a shout when dinner is ready," she says, grabbing her school bag and heading up the stairs.

When she's gone, Cate manages to wiggle free from her husband's grip.

"What was that all about?" she asks, quietly, but angrily.

"Cate, she was clearly nervous to tell you about Jones spending time with her and Baze. You can't make that worse by reading the riot act."

She sighs heavily, calming down a little. She knows he's right, but she also hates her daughter keeping secrets from her. After everything that happened with her teacher, they have to rebuild their trust.

"I don't want her keeping secrets from me, Ryan."

"She knows that. But you have to give her a little bit of breathing space, Cate. The two of you have a lot of work ahead of you to get a solid mother/daughter relationship going. If she thinks you are going to shout at her every time she tells you something, then that isn't going to happen."

Cate climbs to her feet. She needs some wine. Heading into the kitchen, she grabs a bottle from the rack and pours herself a glass. She knocks back the contents before asking her husband if he wants some.

"No, thanks."

The rest of the evening goes well for the Cassidy/Thomas family. It all changes when Ryan receives a call on his phone during dinner. When he picks up, the look on his face tells Cate and Lux that something serious is happening.

"What's going on?" asks Cate quietly.

"Ok, I'm on my way. I'll see you soon," he says, dropping his phone on the table and dashing into their bedroom.

"Ryan, what's happening?" she asks again.

"That was Julia. She's in labour. I have to get to the hospital!" he shouts from the bedroom.

"Do you want me to come with you? I can get Baze to come over and stay with Lux," she asks, joining her husband as he comes back into the living room.

"I didn't think she was due yet," interrupts Lux.

"She isn't, the baby's premature. Where did I put my car keys?" he asks, before finding them on the little dish beside the front door.

"Do you want me to come with you?" repeats Cate. The idea of being there makes her nauseous, but she wants to support Ryan.

"No, it's all right. I'll be fine."

"Will you call me when you know what's happening?" asks Cate, showing her husband out.

"I will. Talk to you soon," he says, dashing out the door.

Cate comes back to the table.

"Do you think the baby will be all right?" asks Lux.

"I don't know. I hope so," she says, taking the fork back into her hand, but she has completely lost her appetite. Lux knows how heartbreaking this is for her mother. She sets her hand over her mother's, gently squeezing.

"It'll be all right, Cate. You'll see. Everything will be fine."

Lux smiles at her mother, but she knows all too well that nothing will be the same again.


	9. Chapter 9

For the rest of the evening, Cate is left more or less alone. Lux is upstairs, completing her homework, while Cate sits downstairs, knocking back a bottle of wine. She knows she's going to be in a delicate state at work the next morning, but it's the only thing that will make this evening any easier. She's 'self-soothing', as she always calls it. The fact that she hasn't heard from Ryan since he left isn't helping.

How can this be happening so quickly? Julia isn't due for another few weeks. Now that she and Ryan were getting their marriage back on track, she really hoped they would have an extra few weeks to reconnect before they had to deal with the new baby.

She reaches for the television remote, intent on finding something to hold her interest long enough to either hear from Ryan, or induce sleep. She finds something with Keanu Reeves. Not exactly thought provoking stuff, but it's funny, and he's cute.

She opens her eyes, a strange noise emerging from the room. Shaking her head to wake herself up a little, she realises her cell phone is ringing in her bag. She rips the zip back and grabs her phone. An anxious grin pops onto her face when she sees Ryan's name shining back at her.

"Ryan, is everything all right?" she blurts out.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Julia hasn't had the baby yet. The doctor thinks she's getting close to it, but she's not quite there yet. I just wanted to let you know what was happening. Is everything all right at home?"

"Yeah, everything is fine. How's Julia?"

"She's fine. Exhausted, but fine. I think she just wants this all to be done now."

"I could well believe it," answers Cate. She thinks back to her own delivery with Lux. It had been difficult and highly stressful, although knowing that she was going to give up the baby definitely added to that. She remembers how scary the whole process was, having to trust other people, and accept their help and support.

"Well, I better get going. Could you tell Alice I won't be in work today? I don't think the baby will be here before we go on air."

"Of course, no problem, don't worry about work. We can figure something out. Ring me again soon, all right?" she asks.

"I will, I promise. Talk soon," he says, hanging up without giving his wife the chance to say goodbye.

She disconnects the call just as Lux emerges down the stairs. She has become used to hearing Cate and Ryan rummaging around the house to head out to work, and so she tends to be up early for school. But this morning, it's a different thing. She couldn't settle enough to sleep, and then when she finally did succumb she had a very restless night. Cate's loud voice woke her up.

"Is Ryan still at the hospital?" she asks, watching as her mother heads to the kitchen for her first coffee of the day.

"Yeah. Julia hasn't had the baby yet, so he'll be there for a while yet."

"I'm sure they are climbing the walls. That's been hours."

"Babies don't come until they're ready. You certainly took your time," she replies.

"Hey, I was just waiting to make my debut, that's all," giggles Lux. "What are the two of you going to do about work? I take it Ryan won't be able to make it to the station on time?"

"Oh, that reminds me," says Cate, heading back to her phone. She finds the cell number for Alice, and rings her. Alice is always up and about early. She's always been an early bird.

"Cate, is everything all right?"

It is well known that Cate is very fond of her bed, so Alice is concerned at getting a call so early in the morning.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Ryan won't be able to make the show. Julia went into labour last night, but she hasn't had the baby yet."

"Um, all right. I'll work something out. Will you be ok to come in?" she asks. She's concerned for her friend and what she's going through, but she also has a show to think about.

"Don't worry, I'll be there. It'll help to have something to focus on."

After getting Lux ready for school, she heads off to work, although she's not looking forward to it. There's a part of her that wishes she could just stay home and mope, but she knows she'll be better off at work. At the very least, she'll have Alice there for support.

When she walks through the door, she finds Baze sitting in her usual spot. She stops in her tracks for a few moments.

"Baze? What are you doing here?"

"Alice invited me to be your co-host for the day. Where's Ryan?"

"What about Lux? How is she getting to school?"

"It's cool, Math is picking her up."

"Oh thank goodness."

"So, what's the deal with Ryan? Are things all right with you two?"

Cate looks into the booth, but there's no one there. She opens her mouth to tell Baze before realising that she never told him about the baby. She wonders if Lux told him.

"Um, I don't know if Lux has told you this or not, but Ryan is having a baby with his ex-girlfriend, and she went into labour last night."

From the look of horror on Baze's face, it's clear he didn't know a thing about it.

"I'm so sorry, Cate. I knew that you and Ryan have been going through a rough time, but I didn't know he'd cheated on you," he says, climbing to his feet to give her a hug. She settles into his arms, loving the comfort. For all their issues, Baze gives the best hugs.

"It's all right, it's not like that. They had a one night stand when we broke up after the car contest."

"Did he tell you about all this?"

"He told me about sleeping with her, eventually, but he only found out about the baby a couple of days ago. She didn't want to tell him and disrupt his life, but when I saw her at the hospital, it all came out."

Baze quickly puts things together.

"So that's what you had to tell him when you came to the bar while we were painting?"

Cate nods.

"How are the two of you coping with it? It must be really hard, considering your loss," he says very diplomatically.

Cate opens her mouth to answer, but Alice comes into the booth behind them.

"Oh, you are both here already. I thought I would have time to tell you what was happening. Cate, are you all right with doing the show with Baze?"

Things have changed since she and Baze last worked on the show together, and so it might be fun to do the show with him today.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It should be a lot of fun," she says, smiling warmly at him.

"Fantastic. You are both on in twenty," says Alice, heading into the control booth.

"Are you sure you're all right with me being here? I promise I'll behave myself," he smiles.

"No, it's all right. Just be yourself," she says, watching as Alice gets their attention to let them know they are about to go live!


	10. Chapter 10

At school, Lux is in class with Math. Since Eric left, he has been tutoring her.

"So, what did you think about To Kill a Mockingbird? Did you enjoy it?" he asks.

"Um, I haven't finished it yet, but so far it's really good. It's such a sad story," she says, although she's not very focused. She has her cell phone sitting on the desk beside her, and she keeps glancing at the screen every few moments to see if Cate or Ryan call her.

"Is everything all right?"

"Not really. There's something happening at home, and I'm just waiting for a phone call, that's all. I'm sorry, I'm not on the ball today, but I just need to know what's happening."

"Is there anything I can help with? I hope everyone is all right?"

"Yeah, everyone's fine. No one is sick, or anything like that," she answers, smiling nervously. She really wishes she could tell Math all about it. He has always been a good friend to everyone, but she can't discuss it until Ryan and Cate give her the ok.

"All right. Well, if you need me, you know where I am," he grins. She returns her grin, thankful for having such a great man in her life; as a friend and as a teacher.

At the radio station, things are going really well. The banter between Cate and Baze is extraordinary, and it's a very welcome distraction for Cate, as it stops her checking her phone every three seconds.

"Oh come on, how can you say that? One night stands do not equal the beginning of meaningful relationships. You can't get to know someone in one night," says Cate.

"Sometimes they can lead to something great. Some of my best relationships have started out as one night stands," beams Baze. He knows he's rattling Cate, and he loves it. One of the aspects of their relationship that he has always enjoyed is the fact that they know one enough well enough to be able to push each other's buttons.

"That's just a typical thing for a single guy to say. Your longest relationship is what, two months? Don't you ever want to settle down with a nice girl?"

"Yes, of course I would, but the right girl hasn't found me yet," he answers, surprising himself. He has never truly thought of settling with one woman. He's always been a serious dater, and he's proud of it, but things have changed recently. With Lux in his life now, he doesn't want to trail endless amounts of women through her life. If his relationship with Emma has taught him anything, it's that he wants something more stable.

Cate is caught slightly unaware by his answer. When she gets her radio head back on, she asks if there are any callers who have opinions on one night stands. The lights immediately start blinking.

"All right, let's talk some calls," smiles Baze, ready to skate over that last comment of his.

After the show is over, Cate finally reaches for her phone. She pouts a little when she finds that there has been no call from Ryan.

"Any word yet?" asks Baze, putting his jacket on.

"No, nothing yet."

"Well why don't you call him?"

"I don't want to disturb him. Besides, his phone is probably switched off."

Baze nods. He had forgotten that phones have to be switched off in hospitals.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'm sure he'll call when he's able. So, do you want to do something for lunch? You could come over to the bar? I make an awesome BLT sandwich," he says, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"All right, that sounds great."

Cate collapses back onto the couch, looking all around Baze's loft apartment. It's such a guy place. Large screen television, PlayStation with controllers waiting for attention, and a set of shower curtains separating Lux's bedroom from the rest of the place. Only a man could think this was a good idea, although Lux didn't seem to mind do much. She reaches for her sandwich, and is just about to sink her teeth in when her phone rings. She grabs her phone as though it were a chocolate bar, and she had been living on a desert island for a month.

"Ryan, is everything all right?"

Baze, who is sitting right beside her, sets his sandwich down to listen in on the telephone call. He hates being so nosy, but this baby is a new addition to his little family, as well as Cate and Ryan's, and he wants to make sure that everyone is all right. He watches as her face goes from excitement about hearing her husband's voice, to the realisation that their lives have now altered forever.

"That's fantastic news. I'm glad that everyone is all right. Send Julia and the baby my love."

He watches as she continues listening to her husband.

"So you'll be home tonight? That's great. We can have a celebration dinner," she says, a small smile popping onto her face. As she hangs up, she moves slowly back to her sandwich, and a cautious Baze.

"Is everyone all right?"

"Yeah, they are both great. Julia had a baby boy an hour ago. Mother and baby are doing well," she says, forcing a smile onto her face.

"But you're not, huh?"

Even though they have only been close for the past few months, he has come to know her incredibly well, and can tell what she's thinking without being told.

"Am I that easy to read?"

"A little, yeah. But I also realise how difficult this is."

"I'm glad someone knows how I feel, because I just feel numb."

"Cate, try to think positively about it," he says, reaching for his sandwich again.

"Think positive? What good could possibly come from my husband having a baby with someone else?"

"How about the fact that a new baby is coming into the family? And what about having another friend in Julia? I know it must be strange being friends with your husband's ex- girlfriend, but it could all work out to be the best thing that has happened to you all."

Cate is a little ashamed to admit that she hadn't thought of it that way. She has been so wrapped up in Ryan becoming a father by someone else that she hadn't considered anything even slightly positive.

"You know something, you are absolutely right. Ryan has always wanted to be a father, and now he is. And Julia can be a new member of the family," she smiles.

Baze scowls at her a little.

"That was a quick turnaround?"

"I guess so, but you're right. I would be lying if I said I bought it completely. I wouldn't be me if I accepted only the good, but there is a strong chance this will make everything all right again. Hopefully Ryan will be happier and more settled in our marriage, and I can develop and grow in my new situation. And besides, it'll be good for Lux to have a little baby brother. Oh, Lux," she says, grabbing her phone and dialling her daughter's cell phone.

While she is telling their daughter the news, Baze heads into the kitchen to grab a bottle of champagne. They need to celebrate the new arrival. As he does so, Math comes into the loft.

"Are we having a party?" asks Math, looking over at Cate and the food and drink on the table in front of her, and the massive bottle of champagne in Baze's hand.

"We're celebrating. Cate just found out that Ryan is a dad. His son was born an hour ago, isn't that great news?" he says, popping the champagne cork.

Math's chin bounces on the ground.

"Huh?"

As Baze explains everything to Math, Cate tells Lux about the new baby. She's relieved that Lux is happy about the new situation, as her world is changing too. She's also looking forward to the celebration dinner tonight. She promises to go straight home from school to help her organise everything. They both want this to be a special time for Ryan.

After hanging up the phone, she joins the two men in the kitchen. Baze hands her a glass of champagne, clinking the glass in celebration.

"To family!" says Baze, to which Cate and Math heartily toast!


	11. Chapter 11

That evening, Cate and Lux have the dinner table all set up for dinner. Being a terrible cook, she arranged to pick up food from one of Ryan's favourite restaurants in Portland. When he bounces through the door, the two women throw their arms around him, congratulating him.

"Thanks guys," he says. His mouth is practically watering at the food on the table. He crashes down on the chair, and digs in.

"I'm sure you're starving," says Cate, joining him and Lux at the table. She's not really feeling massively hungry. When she is feeling stressed, the first thing to go is her appetite, but the food looks too appetising to ignore. She knows she'll feel better for getting some food inside her.

"How's Julia?" asks Lux.

"She's great. Exhausted, but great. She'll be getting out of hospital the day after tomorrow, if you'd like to go to her place to see the baby?" he offers.

"That would be great, right Cate?" says Lux, looking over at her mother.

"Yeah, absolutely," she says, silently repeating her new mantra: 'extended family, extended family, extended family'.

After dinner, Ryan crashes into bed. He has hardly slept in twenty four hours, and so he barely takes his shoes off before falling asleep. Cate crawls into bed beside him a little while after, but she can't sleep. Her new mantra is helping improve her mood a little, but she can't help being nervous. She looks over at her sleeping husband. She knows he loves her, and she just hopes that doesn't change.

She rolls over and closes her eyes, falling asleep as she wonders who the baby looks like: Ryan or Julia.

The next morning, and a rejuvenated Cate is making breakfast. Granted, she is just throwing pancakes and bagels into the toaster, and pouring the coffee and orange juice, but still, it's an accomplishment.

Ryan pokes his head around the kitchen wall.

"You're cooking, and the fire alarm was not activated? Is this the apocalypse?"

Cate starts laughing.

"No, of course not. I'm just in a very good mood today. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and today is a brand new day. Everything is good!" she beams.

Ryan smiles, pulling his wife into a hug.

"Thank you," he says quietly. She kisses him before returning to the bagels.

"So, what are your plans for today? Are you all right to go into work?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm actually looking forward to it. I missed doing the show yesterday. Was Alice mad that you had to do the show on your own?" he asks, settling himself at the table and reaching for a pancake.

"Um, I wasn't on my own for the show. Alice arranged for Baze to co-host with me."

Ryan almost chokes on his pancake.

"Are you serious? You had to do the show with Baze? How was that? Do we still have some viewers?"

"It was actually a lot of fun. Baze was really funny. The viewers remembered him from the last time, and bonded with him really quickly."

"How rude and inappropriate was he?"

"He wasn't too bad actually. I was surprised, he was fairly well behaved."

"Well, that's great. I'm glad you weren't in the booth on your own. Back to normal today, thankfully."

"Yeah, although we need to work out if we are going to discuss the baby. People know that we're married. Do we want to risk annoying people by waiting to a later date to announce it?" she asks.

"I hadn't thought of that. I don't really want people to know, not just yet. Let's just allow things to settle with Julia and the baby, and then we can move forward from there. If it comes out in the meantime, well, there's nothing we can do about it," he says, reaching for another pancake.

"Ok, that's probably the best plan."

Lux comes down the stairs then, a bundle of excitement.

"What's gotten into you?" asks Ryan, laughing as his step daughter practically bounces into the room.

"Well, I have another tutor session with Math, and I am happy to say, I have finally read the book. I can't wait to discuss it with him," she says, planting herself on the chair and grabbing a bagel.

"I'm glad you and Math are getting on so well."

"It's impossible not to like Math. He's the best guy. But I wish he had a nice woman in his life. His last girlfriend was Paige, and that was hardly successful," she says, looking over to Ryan, hoping she hasn't upset him. Things have been a little strained between him and his sister of late, after she let him down more than once. But he looks at her with a wide smile.

"I think I'm going to call Paige later, and my parents. They don't know about the baby yet, so I may as well tell them together. She just got back from some trip to Asia."

"How do you think they'll take the news that they're grandparents? And an auntie?"

"Shocked, but excited."

"Great. Oh, and are the two of you still interested in getting to know Jones? I was thinking of asking him over for dinner at the weekend. What do you both think?" asks Lux, looking between the two of them.

"Um, yeah, that should be fine. What do you think, Ryan?"

"Shouldn't be a problem, but I'll need to double check with Julia, see what the plan is. Don't ask him just yet, all right."

"No problem."

At the radio station, people are asking questions about Baze, and wanting Ryan to explain his absence. On the drive over they had decided to explain it away by claiming that he hadn't been well. Thankfully, that seemed to suffice, with callers wishing him a speedy recovery.

At the end of the show, Alice calls them in for a meeting.

"Is everything all right? The figures haven't dropped have they?" asks Cate, pushing the panic button.

"No, it's nothing like that. Trina was listening to the show yesterday, and she loved the banter between the two of you. She thinks we should make Baze co-hosting more of a regular thing."

Now it's Ryan's turn to push the panic button.

"Wait a minute, I don't want to lose days of work for this guy to come in and do his usual Baze thing!"

"That's not what we're suggesting. We were thinking that Baze could co-host once a week, and it'll be the three of you. There needs to be someone responsible in the booth, someone who can rein these two in when they go off, and that's where you come in. The voice of reason, if you will."

"That doesn't sound too bad, right?" queries Cate.

"No, it doesn't, but can we just see how it goes for a few weeks before offering him a contract," states Ryan strongly. Even though he is starting to like Baze, he knows that he usually speaks first, thinks later, and he doesn't want that happening on his show.

"Ok, we can do that."

Before leaving the studio, Ryan calls Julia to see how she's getting on. Also, Cate takes a call from Baze.

"Have you heard the news?" he asks. He's so giddy on the phone, he's like a child with a new toy.

"Yeah, Alice just told us. Should be a lot of fun."

"I hope Ryan is all right with it?"

"Yeah, he's fine."

"Fantastic. Lux told me that you're going to have Jones over for dinner sometime?" he asks.

"Yeah, that's the plan. Ryan just needs to find out what's happening with Julia before we can set a date for it. What do you think of Jones? Do you like him?"

"I do, I think he's a good kid. He needs to think about his future a little, but he still has a little time for that. You're going to like him, Cate."

Cate sighs with relief. She can't help being nervous about their daughter after everything that has happened recently, but she seems to have finally picked a good one.

After hanging up with Baze, Ryan comes over to her.

"How's Julia?"

"She's getting out of hospital tomorrow. Her mum is moving in with her for a few weeks, so she says she doesn't need me too much, but I'm going to pop over as often as I can so I can spend some time with the baby."

"Great. So will you be all right if we invite Jones over for dinner on Saturday night? I really want to get to know this guy."

"Definitely. Have to admit, I want to check out this guy myself."

"Fantastic. I'll let Lux know. I'm sure she'll be ecstatic."


	12. Chapter 12

Saturday night comes around quickly. Cate made the decision to try cooking some of the food herself, but she decided to stick with the fairly safe cup-cakes for dessert. She lovingly spent the morning baking them, and then decorating them in various coloured icing.

"You might just be getting better at this cooking thing," laughs Ryan, coming into the kitchen and grabbing one of the cup-cakes before she has the chance to stop him.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far, but I want to do something special for the dinner tonight. Lux is a bundle of nerves about it."

"I know, she could barely concentrate on anything last night. Even that show she likes couldn't settle her."

Lux appears, and notices a little look between her mother and step-father.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing. We were just talking about tonight. Are you looking forward to it?" asks Cate.

"Yeah, sure. It should be fun," she answers, without a dose of sincerity.

"Lux, I know what a big deal it is to introduce your boyfriend to your family, but I promise we won't make him feel uncomfortable. We just want to get to know him," says Cate.

"I'm still nervous. The two of you don't know Jones, not as well as Baze. I just want it to go well."

Cate kisses her daughter on the forehead.

"Just try to relax and enjoy it, all right?"

Lux nods, but her anxiety won't leave until this night is over.

After another painting session, Baze returns to his loft, where he finds Math sitting on the couch with a beer in hand, staring off into space.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just sitting here re-evaluating my life, that's all."

"That's very philosophical. Are you thinking of anything in particular?"

"I'm not where I want to be in my life. I love my job, but I'd like to have a relationship. A real relationship," he says, looking down at his shoes. Baze sits beside him. He knows what he's talking about, as he would like the same thing for himself. He took the break up with Emma badly, and hasn't been mentally ready to even look for a new girlfriend. But now, perhaps he should start doing something.

"How about we head out tonight and hit a few bars? I'm sure Jamie would be up for it as well."

For the first time that day, a massive smile pops onto Math's face.

"Definitely!" he beams.

"Great. I'll give Jamie a call."

At the Cassidy/Thomas house, Cate, Ryan and Lux are dashing around the kitchen and dining room, making their last few adjustments when the front door bell rings. They all stop in their tracks, turning to stare at the front door as though it could open on its own.

"Lux, do you want to get the door," says Cate, grabbing her husband's arm, ready to greet Jones.

After a brief moment of panic, Lux opens the door. Jones has a massive smile on his face, and a bunch of flowers in his hands. She gives him a hug.

"Are you ready for this?" she whispers.

"Absolutely."

"Well come on in you two," says a happy Ryan, holding the door open for them to pass through.

As they move into the living room, Jones hands the flowers to Cate.

"Thank you so much for inviting me," he says, smiling at her.

"Thank you, that's very sweet of you. Would you like something to drink?"

"Do you have some cola?"

"Certainly. Lux, could you get it?" asks Cate, smiling at her daughter. Lux knows her mother wants some time alone with her boyfriend, but she loathes the idea. She always wants to be around to make sure there are no catastrophes. She looks over at Jones, but he has his eyes on Cate.

"Sure," she says, slowly making her way to the kitchen, but keeping her eyes on the living room.

Ryan joins everyone in the living room. He and Cate sit together on the couch, while Jones rests himself on one of the chairs opposite. They had done a bit of re-arranging for the night, wanting to keep everyone together while they chatted.

"So Jones, thanks for coming over for dinner. I hope you're not too nervous?" asks Ryan.

Jones laughs.

"I'd be lying if I said I was totally at ease, but I'm happy to have the chance to get to know Lux's family better. She has never been the most talkative about her family in the past."

"Yeah, things have been difficult since Lux came to live with us. But things are settling down now," says Cate, smiling at him. From the little she has seen of Jones, he always seemed to be a fairly respectful and responsible man. Now that she's getting the chance to know him better, she's confident that she's going to like this young man.

"How's everything in here?" asks Lux, coming back into the living room.

"Everything is fine. We were done with the thumb screws on Jones before you came back," grins Ryan.

Everyone laughs, except Lux, whose pretty face turns the colour of a tomato.

Baze, Math and Jones are having a couple of drinks, getting ready to head out on the town.

"So what inspired this night out?" asks Jamie.

"We both realised that we have been lacking in some female companionship for far too long. It's time we put a stop to that!" says Math.

"Fantastic. About time you two started hitting the bars again."

"Yeah. Plus, I was thinking we could scope out how they get the numbers in the bar. I want Open Bar 2.0 to be a great success."

Jamie nods his head. He can't wait to get back to work again. The time without steady work at the bar has been very difficult. Moving back in with his parents has been soul destroying, and he can't wait to get things back to a debauched normal.

"So, where are we heading to first?" asks Jamie.

"What about Wild Bar? That place was rocking last time we were there," says Baze.

"Really? I didn't think you enjoyed it?" adds Jamie.

"I did, my mind just wasn't on it. I was going through that whole drama with Emma. This time, I'm ready to meet and greet some women," he grins.

"All right then. Let's go!" says Jamie, escorting his two friends out the front door.


	13. Chapter 13

Over dinner, Cate and Ryan question Jones on everything from his family to school and his goals for the future. From his tales of growing up with a bipolar mother she's relieved that he has a personal understanding of having a difficult childhood.

Cate can't help but be impressed with Jones as he discusses his mother's health problems. He seems so well put together, but when he talks about his mother and her issues, the emotion comes through.

Lux feels her phone vibrating in her jeans pocket. She ignores it, not wanting anything to interrupt her family time. But after the phone rings for the fourth time, she decides to check out who the insistent caller is. Her heart falls into her stomach at the number flashing back at her. She had deleted his name and number from her phone months ago when he ran out of town, but she knows the number of by heart.

Why is Bug calling her after all this time?

When she looks up again everyone is looking at her.

"Lux, is everything all right?" asks Cate.

"Yeah, everything's fine," she smiles, but her mother knows fine rightly that something is wrong. But she decides not to push it. Not right now.

They continue on with their meal, sharing stories and telling jokes. Cate is elated when her cup cakes are a hit, with everyone having a couple each.

At the end of the night, they say goodbye to one another.

"Thank you so much for coming, Jones, it was lovely to sit down and get to know you," smiles Cate.

"You too. Thanks for having me."

"We'll have to do it again soon," adds Ryan.

"Definitely."

"Jones, I'll show you to your car," says Lux.

After they close the door after them, Cate collapses into her husband's arms.

"So, how do you think that went?" asks Cate.

"I think it went well. He's a lovely, very genuine guy. He seems to be a good influence on her as well, which can only be a good thing. What did you think of him?"

"I'm with you, he's a good guy. And did you see how attentive he was with her? He was always making sure her glass was full, checking to make sure she was all right?"

"I did. I really hope this all works out for them," he adds.

"Me too."

She reaches up to kiss him, just as Lux comes back into the house.

"So, what do you think of him? Be honest!"

Cate and Ryan are silent for a few moments, putting on that they are trying to think of something to say. But Cate can't keep it in for long.

"We love him. He's such a great guy, and we couldn't be happier for the two of you."

Lux dashes at them, throwing her arms around them.

"Thank you. I'm so relieved you like him. I'm biased, but I think he's fantastic."

"Come on, let's clear the table," says Cate.

As they put the plates and cutlery into the dishwasher they make small talk about work and school. It's not that they don't have more interesting things to talk about, but they are exhausted.

Then, Cate remembers something.

"What was with your phone at dinner, Lux? Was someone calling you?"

Lux stops in her tracks.

"It was nothing," she says, smiling nervously. She can't look Cate or Ryan in the eyes, which they both know means that she's hiding something.

"Lux, come on. You know we'll find out eventually. You might as well tell us now, don't you think?" says Ryan. She knows he's right. Things always manage to come out in this family, especially with Cate around.

"It was Bug!"

"Bug? You're ex-boyfriend, Bug?" asks Cate incredulously.

"That's the one."

"What did he want?"

"I don't know, I didn't answer, and he didn't leave me a voicemail message."

"Well, perhaps that will be the end of it then," comments Cate. She really hopes Bug stays away. He was very supportive towards her when they were together, especially after she and Cate first meet, but things went disastrously wrong soon enough, and she doesn't want to see Lux take any steps back from the positive path she's on now.

"I hope so. I really hope so."

At Wild Bar, the boys are having a drink while scoping out the area. Jamie is in heaven. There are pretty girls in all four corners of the building, and he's making himself acquainted with a good proportion of them. Baze and Math are propping up the bar. Now that he's here, Math realises this isn't the place he wants to meet girls. He's not sure which type of girl he wants to meet, but she's not hanging out here.

"You're not enjoying this, are you?" asks Baze.

Math smiles. He loves that his best friend knows him well enough to realise that he's not completely at ease.

"No, I'm really not. I just realised that this isn't the place I want to meet a girl."

Baze looks over his shoulder. This used to equal paradise to him, but since Lux came into his life he hasn't seen the bar scene in the same way. Aside from his own bar, he really doesn't enjoy spending time in them anymore.

"I know the feeling. But maybe we can look on this as a research trip. Try to figure out why they have full occupancy pretty much every night."

Math nods his head.

"Sounds like a plan! But first, we need some more beer!"

The next morning, Baze and Math emerge from their bedrooms with humongous hangovers. They are horrified to find Jamie standing in the kitchen making pancakes, humming along to the radio.

"Why are you so cheery?" asks Baze.

"You two are old men. You just can't handle it anymore," he smiles, knocking back a glass of orange juice.

Math looks at his friend through bleary eyes. He can't help looking forward to the day when Jamie becomes an 'old man' and wakes up feeling the way they do after a night of drinking.

"Where did you disappear to last night? We were talking at the bar, turn around, and you've gone," asks Baze.

The bedroom door behind them opens up, and a pretty brunette walks into the room. Jamie gives her a quick kiss and escorts her out of the loft.

Baze and Math smile at one another. They should have guessed.

When Jamie returns to the loft, he has a massive smile on his face.

"Did you two have a good night? You seemed to be standing at the bar the few times I looked over."

"Yeah, we quickly realised that it wasn't our scene. But we did come up with some ideas for making Open Bar the best bar in Portland!" replies Baze excitedly.

"Fantastic. Tell me all about it!" smiles Jamie.


	14. Chapter 14

At the radio station, Cate and Ryan are bantering about the topic of the day. Ryan is clock watching, knowing that he is seeing the baby at Julia's after work. He asked Cate if she wanted to go to see the baby with him, but she declined. She wants to give Ryan time to bond with the baby alone.

As Ryan takes off to head over to Julia's, Cate heads out to lunch with Alice.

"How are things going with you and Ryan?"

"We're taking things slowly. There's so much going at the moment, we don't want to rush anything."

"But things are going well?" she asks. She loves both these guys, and only wants the best for them.

"Yeah. We're doing all right," she smiles. "How's everything with you?"

Alice sighs. "Things have been a little bit difficult. Jeff is going full steam ahead with the divorce. Apparently he's found some little bimbo, who has already moved into the house."

"You're kidding?"

She shakes her head.

"I'm so sorry. Had you hoped to get back together with him?"

"I'd hoped we could at least talk about it. Now I know why he was so keen to push for a divorce. He probably wants to marry his little bimbo as soon as we're divorced."

Cate reaches across the table, patting her friends hand in sympathy. She feels bad for discussing her own marriage troubles when Alice was going through her own. But Alice has always told her to be positive and optimistic.

"Well, now that you're a soon to be single lady on the town, what are your new plans?"

A smile pops onto Alice's face. She hadn't thought of it like that before.

"Cate, have I ever told you that I love the way you think?"

She grins back.

"Always happy to help!"

Alice puts her head into her hand, thinking about all the possible options she has. She and Jeff had been married for quite a while, and she hasn't been single for a long time. She has to admit, she's a little nervous about that. But the excitement for her future is building with each minute.

"I'm not sure yet. I need to find a new place to live though. My contract with my current place is running out soon, and I think I need a fresh start."

"There's a place for sale down the road from Ryan and I," offers Cate.

Alice's eyes open as wide as they will go.

"Really? I love your neighbourhood!"

"Yeah. And I think we need to get you out and about again."

"That's a plan," answers Alice, as they clink their wine glasses in agreement.

Ryan is sitting at Julia's with the baby in his arms, absolutely captivated. He never knew how powerful it would be to hold his child in his arms. Julia is sitting beside him, smiling warmly.

"You're completely in love with him, aren't you?"

"I just can't believe how beautiful he is. And how tiny. Look at his little fingers!"

"I know, it's amazing. Ryan, we have to talk about names. Do you have any ideas?"

He's unable to take his eyes from his son, but he had been giving this some thought.

"How about Matthew after your dad? He was such a lovely man, and I thought this would be a nice way to respect him."

Tears spring to Julia's eyes.

"That's the sweetest thing, thank you so much. Matthew Thomas, I like that," she says, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek.

He raises his head long enough to smile at her before returning his focus on their son.

Lux heads over to Baze's loft after school. He makes her something to eat, and settles down to hear all about her night.

"How did Cate and Ryan take to Jones?"

"They loved him. It was a mutual love fest," she laughs.

"Fantastic, I told you they'd like him. How was Cate during dinner? I bet she was a little nervous."

"She was great. She wanted to know all about his family. He told her all about his mother, and Cate seemed to be really impressed with him."

Baze had felt exactly the same way when he told him about his mother's bipolar status.

"You can't help but be impressed by that. We'll have to have a big party sometime soon to celebrate everything. You and Jones are together, Ryan's a daddy, he and Cate are working through their marriage issues, all good things."

Lux feels a little bad for her dad. All these wonderful things are happening in the Cassidy/Thomas household, but some wonderful things have yet to penetrate the Bazile/Rogers household.

"Are you all right?" she asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The three of us went out for a guys night last night, but it didn't quite go to plan. Well, Jamie had a fantastic time, but it wasn't quite the same for Math and I."

"Why, what happened?"

Baze feels a little uncomfortable talking to his daughter about things like this, but she is mature enough to know a little.

"Math and I are looking for girlfriends. We have both realised that we don't want a series of one night stands anymore, we want something serious. Last night just showed us that the girls we want don't hang out in bars."

Lux smiles warmly at her father.

"What?" he asks.

"I never thought I would hear you say something like that. I guess things have changed a lot since, um, you know."

"Since Emma?"

Lux nods sadly. It broke her heart when he was so badly hurt by his break up with Emma, but she was relieved that she was out of his life. She wasn't good for him. She had lied to him about her past relationship with his father, and that was unforgivable.

"You don't need to avoid talking about her. That didn't work out, obviously, but it showed me that I want a girlfriend. A long term girlfriend."

"Do you want to get married sometime?"

"Yeah, maybe."

Lux's chin is bouncing on the ground.

"Have I surprised you that much?"

"Well, yeah. I'm really proud of you, Baze. You have changed so much since I first met you."

"Hey, it's about time, right?"

The phone in her jeans pocket vibrates. Lux's heart starts beating. It's probably Jones calling her, making plans for the evening, but something tells her it's someone else.

"What's the matter?"

"My phone is ringing," she says, slowly reaching into her pocket and lifting out her phone. It's Bug. Again! She hits the 'ignore' button and returns the phone to its resting place in her pocket.

"Lux?"

She raises her eyes to her father. His enquiring eyes tell her that she should confess.

"Bug has started calling me."

Baze is actually struck dumb for a few moments. He can't quite take in what she's telling him. She thought he was long gone.

"Are you kidding? What does he want?"

"I don't know. He called last night during dinner, but I didn't answer him."

"Maybe it would be best if you rang him back? Find out what he wants, and then hopefully he'll leave you alone?"

She knows Bug basically isn't a bad person, but she's not sure she wants him back in her life again. But her father is right. He's going to keep ringing her if she doesn't put a stop to it now.

Lux nods her head and reaches for her phone. Anxiously, she rings his number.


	15. Chapter 15

Holding the phone anxiously to her ear, she listens to the rings. There are only three before the call is picked up.

"Lux?"

Her heart falls to her feet when she hears Bug's voice after so long. She has every intention of keeping her cool, but she's not feeling very confident on her success with that. The two of them were so close, for a long time. She doesn't know how she could have survived the last few years of her life in foster care without his love and support.

"Hi. I just wanted to return your phone calls, and find out why you've been looking for me?" she asks, with a lot more decorum than she realised she possessed. She looks over at her father, who has his eyes trained carefully on her.

"I'm heading into Portland in a couple of weeks, and I just wondered if I could see you."

"Why?" she asks quickly, without thinking about it.

"Because I know I walked out on you a few months ago, and I'm really sorry. I was hoping we could get together so I could explain everything," he answers, pleading in his voice.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Bug. I've moved on."

"Yeah, I thought you might have. Can we at least meet and catch up? I'd like to see you," he says, a little dose of sadness in his voice.

"I'm sorry Bug, but no. Have a good life," she says, hanging up before she can change her mind.

"What was all that about? What does he want?"

With each passing second, she becomes more and more angry. What does Bug think he's doing? He walked out on her, leaving her absolutely devastated. But she managed to pick herself up, dust herself off, and move forward. It was difficult and heartbreaking, but she did it. She's not prepared to go back in time, and for her, Bug is the past, and that's where he's going to stay.

"He said that he's coming into town, and he wants to see me."

"For what?" he says, getting closer to his daughter on the couch. He went through the whole break up with her, and knows how difficult it was for her. He doesn't want to see her upset again.

"He wants to explain himself, and tell me why he left."

"And you told him you're not interested?"

She looks at Baze in shock.

"Do you think I should see him?"

"No, of course not. I think you are better off without him in your life, I'm just a little surprised, that's all."

"Well, don't be. I never want to see him again. He's out of my life, for good."

"Then great, I think you've made the right decision. The past belongs where it is."

Lux nods her head.

"I agree," she says, moving into the kitchen to get something to drink. She's done talking about Bug.

Baze watches as his daughter grabs a glass and pours herself some orange juice.

"Are you all right?" he asks, joining his daughter in the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Deciding they need something more positive to discuss, he comes up with a new topic.

"So what are your plans for tonight?"

"I might just stay in with Cate. I think Ryan might be spending time with the baby, so she'll need some company."

"I should invite the two of them over for dinner sometime. I haven't seen Ryan in a while."

"He's been really busy recently, with the baby, and him and Cate getting their show back. But you should definitely ask them over. What about the big party you had been talking about? That would be a lot of fun," she asks.

Baze had forgotten that he had talked about having party.

"That's a great idea. Actually, the bar is almost ready to re-open. We should have a big celebration party downstairs, break the bar in properly!"

"Fantastic. If you pick the date, then I can help you get everything organised."

The father and daughter team hug each other warmly. This is just what everyone needs – the opportunity to spend some time with everyone and celebrate all the good that is happening.

It takes a couple of weeks to organise everything, but before Baze and Lux know it, the big 'Open Bar Re-Opening Party' is happening that evening. Lux is at the bar, helping Baze, Math and Jamie with the finishing touches. Cate and Ryan are getting ready to head over, as they are picking up Julia on the way. She hasn't been out much since she had the baby and so Ryan suggested she come to the party as well. Not only will it get her out of the house for a while, but it will give her and Cate the chance to get to know one another. They are going to be a part of one another's lives for a long time, and he really wants the two of them to get on.

He had to talk Cate into it at first, as she wasn't keen. They haven't spent any time together, and she didn't know if she wanted their first real chance of getting to know each other to be so public. But he managed to convince her by telling her that she would have her friends and family around her for support.

They are also picking up their boss, Alice. She's getting back into the single life, but so far, hasn't been having much success. She has met a few people, nice guys, but nothing serious. The dates have become conversation fodder for Cate and Ryan on their show, much to her chagrin.

Cate waits in the taxi as Ryan goes to get Julia. Her hands are shaking she is so nervous. When they emerge, she is stunned to find that she has really slimmed down since the baby's birth. She looks amazing. Ryan opens the passenger side door for her as she scoots into the back seat.

"Hi Cate, it's lovely to see you again," she says warmly, a huge smile on her face.

"Great to see you too," she replies, relaxing a little. When Ryan jumps into the driver's seat he immediately makes sure that both women are all right.

There are a few moments of nervous silence before Julia breaks it.

"So, who's going to be at the party? It's to celebrate the opening of the bar, isn't it?"

"Yeah. The bar is owned by Lux's dad, Baze. A few of his friends are going to be there, and we're picking up our boss, Alice. It should be a lot of fun," replies Cate, slowly calming down and relaxing. She's not sure why, but now that Julia is here she feels much better.

"Sounds great."

"How's the baby?" asks Cate.

She turns around to look at Julia, who is displaying the world's biggest smile.

"He's doing really well, thanks. Ryan and I have been talking about having a naming ceremony for him. I hope you can come."

"I would love to, thanks."

They pull up outside Alice's home. It's fairly small, and Alice says she's feeling cramped there, but it's only temporary until she can find a new place. Ryan honks the horn, but there's no activity.

"I'm going to make sure she's all right," says Cate, leaping out of the car. She knocks on the door, but it's another few moments before a flustered Alice appears.

"Is everything all right?" asks Cate.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to find my purse. Come on in."

They both head into her bedroom to look for the purse.

"So, how's things in the car with Ryan and Julia?" asks Alice.

"It was a little bit tense at first. I was actually shaking, but she seems like a nice woman."

"Cate, she's probably as nervous as you."

She nods her head. She hadn't even considered how Julia must feel about all of this.

"Oh, found it. Let's go," says Alice excitedly.

"You're looking forward to this, aren't you?"

"Absolutely. It's going to be so much fun. Come on," says Alice, grabbing her arm and heading out the door with her.


	16. Chapter 16

When they get to Open Bar, they find streamers and balloons all over the front door and windows.

"Another quiet, understated event from Mr Bazile," laughs Ryan.

When they get inside, Jamie and Math are behind the bar, while Lux is chatting with Baze just in front of them. Cate, Alice and Ryan haven't seen the newly refurbished Open Bar, so their eyes are falling onto the new set up. Cate bounces up to Lux and Baze, very excited and happy at how amazing it looks.

"The bar looks fantastic. You have all done so well," smiling madly, especially when Math hands her a glass of champagne.

"Thank you, thank you. Who's your friend?" asks Baze, whispering.

"Oh. Everyone, this is Julia, Ryan's um, ex-girlfriend. Julia, this is my daughter Lux, her father Baze, and his roommates Math and Jamie," she says, waving her arms around as she introduces everyone. After lots of handshakes and welcomes, Lux takes her mother off to the side.

"So that's Julia?"

Cate looks behind her. Julia takes a drink from Math while sharing a joke with him. She's glad that she's relaxing.

"That she is."

"Are you all right?"

She kisses her daughter on the forehead, relieved to have so many people in her life who support her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to get used to the situation, that's all. It's a lot to take in."

"Ryan seems to be doing well with everything."

"Yeah, he's great. He's in love with the baby. He has so many photos of Matthew on his phone."

"The proud daddy."

"That he is! Is Jones coming by?"

"Yeah, he should be."

"Come on you two, no hiding over here. We have some celebrating to do!" says Baze, bouncing to their side and throwing his arms around them. Mother and daughter chuckle. Even though he has grown up massively over the past few months, in some areas he is still a big kid, and with the opening of his new bar, he's reverted back.

In no time at all, the bar is full. Everyone is having a fantastic time, and everyone is bonding. Julia is having a wonderful time getting to know Ryan's friends, and Lux is happy spending time with Jones. Cate and Julia haven't spent much time together. They check in with one another, making sure that they are having a good time, but that's as much as they have managed thus far.

On her way out the door to get some fresh air, she finds Alice sitting at the bar, chatting away with Jamie.

"How are you two?"

"We're fantastic. Becoming fast friends," grins Jamie. Cate knows what that means – he's thinking of spending the night with her."

"Great. Alice, I need to speak to you about, um, shoes," she says, dragging her friend away.

"Shoes? What's the matter with you? You care about shoes like I care which singer is going to get through on that dumb show you like."

"Hey, that show is very. . . . Never mind. The important thing is, Jamie isn't the person you're looking for. He's a one night stand kinda guy."

"So maybe that's what I'm looking for?"

Cate scowls at her friend.

"Oh come on, you're not a one night stand person."

Alice sighs. Sometimes she hates it when her friends call her out when she tells an untruth.

"Ok, you're right. I'd hate that. But he's cute," she smiles, looking back at him, grinning like a mad thing when he nods his head at her.

"Alice!"

"All right. So, you know everyone here, who would you recommend as good boyfriend material. What about Baze?"

Cate's chin smacks the ground.

"No. Definitely not. What about. . . . " she begins, scanning the room. ". . . . what about Math?"

"Who?" Alice has had a fair bit to drink, and she forgets names easily when there is a lot of alcohol in her system.

"Math, Baze's roommate. Lux's teacher," she says, pointing him out to her.

Alice turns around to look at him. "Um, I don't know. He's not exactly my type."

"Alice, trust me, you couldn't meet a nicer, kinder man if you tried. He's an absolute sweetheart."

Alice turns around to look at him again.

"I don't know, Cate."

"Just think about it. Spend a bit of time with him and see what you think," she suggests. She notices Julia calling her over.

"Excuse me," she says.

Alice looks over at Math, watching as he shares a joke with Baze. She has to admit, he had a nice smile. She makes her way over to him, intent on introducing herself again, and seeing where it leads.

"Cate, can I speak with you somewhere. Privately?" asks Julia.

"Certainly," she says nervously. She looks over at Ryan, but he's talking with Lux. She turns around to speak with Baze.

"Baze, can we borrow your loft for a couple of minutes?"

Baze looks at the two women. "Sure, no problem."

Cate refills their glasses of champagne before leading Julia up the stairs.

"So, what do you want to talk to me about?" she asks, making herself as comfortable as possible on the couch.

"I think we need to talk about Ryan, and the baby. I know how difficult this must be for you. I mean, it would be terrible enough to hear that he slept with me when you two broke up. But then to find out I'm pregnant with our baby."

"Yeah, that was definitely a kick in the head," she says, taking a large sip of champagne.

"I'm sorry about that. I really didn't want to interrupt your marriage to Ryan. He really is a great guy, and he adores you."

Cate smiles at her sweet words.

"Thank you. I really don't know what I'd do without him."

"He told me that the two of you have been raising your daughter. He loves being a father to Lux, and to Matthew. I just hope that you're all right with all this?"

"It's been difficult, and a lot to get used to. To be honest, I didn't think I would ever be able to accept it, but Ryan managed to talk me around. I know that he wants all of us to get along, and that's what I want too."

"So, you're ok with all of this? I would love for you to meet the baby, and become more involved."

"I would love that too. And thank you."

They clink their glasses and smile at one another. Perhaps this is the way it should have turned out. Difficult as it was to go through, it is all working out for the best.


	17. Chapter 17

Cate and Julia make their way back down to the bar, wide smiles on their faces. The first person they encounter is Ryan, who has a very worried look on his face.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. We were just, um, getting to know one another. Don't worry," says Cate, stroking her husband's face until a smile appears on his face.

"Good. Glad to hear it. Do you want another drink?" he asks, noticing that her glass is almost empty.

"Yes please," she answers, handing her glass to him.

"Julia, are you all right?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm going to get going. I want to make sure Matthew is all right."

"Are you sure?" asks Cate. She never thought she would say that, always assuming she would be ushering her out the door as soon as the opportunity arose. But now that she's had the chance to get to know her a little, and hear Julia say that she has nothing to worry about with Ryan, she's feeling much more at ease.

"Yes, thank you. I'll just call a cab."

"Do you want me to come with you?" he offers.

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks for inviting me. Cate, you'll have to come over and meet Matthew sometime soon."

"I'd love to. We'll get something organised."

After calling for a cab, Ryan escorts her out, saying that he'll wait for her.

"So? What happened upstairs?"

Cate fires around to find her daughter standing behind her.

"Well. Turns out she's a lovely lady. I think we could end up being friends," she gleams.

"Fantastic. I'm so glad it's all worked out for the best. Come on, I think Alice is looking for you."

Cate is just about to head over to Alice when Jamie clinks a champagne glass.

"All right everyone, I think a speech is in order. Baze!"

"Ok, Ok," he says, sitting on the bar. He stops for a few moments when he notices Ryan coming back into the bar, joining his wife in front of the bar.

"I want to thank you all for coming to the opening party of Open Bar 2.0. I hope you'll all make it your bar of choice, and remember to drink up! Cheers!" he laughs.

The massive smile drops from his face when he sees his father and mother walk through the door. Lux looks from her father to her grandparents and back again. Most people don't know what happened between Baze and his father, but everyone is aware that things have been difficult between father and son for a while.

"Hey son," says Jack.

The whole room descends into silence.

"Right, who wants another drink?" asks Jamie, taking the attention away from the stunned family members.

Baze bolts to his father and grabs his arm, yanking him outside. His mother stands still, just watching. Cate invites her over for a drink, to which she happily agrees.

Outside the bar, Baze starts shouting. Although things aren't quite as strained as they were when he found out his father's affair with his ex-girlfriend, Emma, things are still difficult. He doesn't know if he'll ever be able to forgive his father for the betrayal to himself, and to his mother, who still doesn't know about it.

"What are you doing here, dad? And how did you even find out about it?"

"I overheard someone at the office discussing your party. I was a little upset that you didn't tell me about it yourself. I know things have been difficult between us, but I had hoped for a bit of notification on the bar re-opening. I do have an interest in it, after all."

"I thought things would be easier if we spent a little bit of time apart. How are you and mom getting on?" he asks.

"Things are fine. She keeps asking me why things have gone downhill between the two of us."

"And what have you told her?"

"I just told her you were upset with me for letting Emma go."

"Have you spoken to Emma since she left?" he asks. He's not really sure why he's asking. The question was out of his mouth before he thought about it. He knows that, whatever time passes, he will always have feelings for Emma. She was the first serious, proper relationship he has ever had, and he will never forget her for that.

"No, I haven't. I heard she was leaving town. Too many bad memories here."

Baze glares at his dad. He'll never be able to forget what he did. But perhaps, with time, he'll find a way to forgive him. And he may as well be the one to open the door.

"Do you want to come in for some champagne?"

A smile pops onto his father's face

"I would love that, thank you."

As they walk back into the bar, their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, everyone smiles in relief, especially Lux. She dashes to her father and grandfather, relishing when they wrap her in a hug. She has hated them not getting on. Knowing what a trying relationship they have at the best of times, she hopes this is the end of it, and they can move into the future with a new understanding.

Cate realises she hasn't spoken with Alice in a while. She looks all around the bar, but she can't see her anywhere.

"Jamie. Have you seen Alice anywhere?"

"Yeah, she went upstairs with Math a while ago."

A massive grin spreads across her face.

"She's with Math?" she asks excitedly.

Jamie doesn't get where she's coming from at all. But then, that might be because he's chatting away with one of Baze's former workmates from his father's firm.

"Yeah," he replies simply before returning his attentions to the pretty blonde in front of him, pouring her another drink.

Cate quietly dashes up the stairs. When she reaches the door to the loft, she presses her ear to the door. She doesn't want to interrupt anything. When she can't hear anything, she knocks the door gingerly before opening it.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" she asks, poking her head through the door.

"Cate, come on in. We're just getting something to eat."

Entering the loft, she finds Alice and Math in the kitchen, munching on sandwiches.

"Feeling peckish are we?"

"Yeah. We figured we should get some food into us to soak up all the alcohol. How's things downstairs?" asks Alice.

"Things are great, everyone is having a great time. I just wanted to make sure you were both all right."

"We're fine. Have you talked to Baze about his dad making an appearance?" asks Alice.

"A little, but I think he's keeping himself busy with organising drinks and making sure everyone has a good time. Math, have you discussed it with him?"

"Not yet. I don't think he's ready to talk about it. Maybe tomorrow," he replies. He is barely able to take his eyes from Alice.

"Alice, can I talk to you for a moment?" asks Cate, eager to find out what's going on.

"Sure. Math, can we use one of the rooms back there?" asks Alice.

"No problem. Use the one on the right," he says eagerly. Cate smiles as she walks across the loft. She knows all too well that he's assigned them to Baze's bedroom. He clearly doesn't want Alice to see his bedroom just yet.

She closes the door firmly behind them. "So, what's happening with you two? You seem to be getting on really well," starts Cate.

"Yeah, he's a lovely guy. Very attentive and sweet."

"So, are the two of you going to start dating?" she asks excitedly.

Alice holds her hands up in front of her, stopping Cate in her tracks. She loves that her friend is so excited for her, and hopeful, but she needs time.

"Hold on Cate. He's a lovely guy, but I'm not sure about us dating. I think we're just going to be friends.

Cate grins. She knows she can be a little overpowering sometimes, but she only wants the best for her friends.

"All right, but keep me up to date on what's happening, all right?"

"I promise, I will."

The rest of the night goes well. A lot of alcohol is consumed, and the bar has a grand opening.

At the end of the night, Lux asks Cate and Ryan if she can stay overnight with Baze.

"Fantastic. You can help me get the place cleaned tomorrow," he says, grinning at her. She shakes her head. She hadn't intended that at all, but given the mess of the place, he's going to need all the help he can get.

"What about Cate and Ryan? All hands on deck, right?" says Lux.

"Actually, I think we might have plans for the weekend," says Cate, wrapping her arms around Ryan's waist. He looks down at her, quizzically.

"What plans?"

"Well, I thought we could all go and see Matthew on Sunday. Is it's all right with Julia. And Lux?" she beams.

They turn to look at Lux.

"Yes, I'd love to see the baby. Sorry Baze," she beams, relieved for the excuse to get out of the cleaning.

Ryan bends down to kiss his wife. "Thank you."


	18. Chapter 18

The next morning, and Ryan wake ups alone in bed, with a hangover from hell. Lux is already up and about, making a bit of racket in the kitchen as she makes breakfast.

"What's going on? Where's your mother?" asks Ryan, rubbing his eyes frantically in an attempt to wipe the exhaustion away.

"Jones just called. We're going to go and see Tasha! I was so excited I couldn't just sit in bed doing nothing."

"That sounds like fun. It's been a long time since you've seen her, isn't it?" he asks. He looks at the plate of food in front of Lux, and his stomach starts to twist. He fires his eyes away quickly. The last thing he wants is to throw up in front of his step-daughter.

"Where's Cate?"

"She had to get some milk at the store. She's been a while though."

"She probably bumped into some fans of the show. Happens all the time," grins Ryan. Talking with fans has always been one of his favourite aspects of being a radio talk show host. He's much more at ease with it than his wife, but she's starting to come around the more often it happens. "What time is Jones coming to pick you up?"

"Around nine. It's a bit of a drive out there, so we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time."

Cate explodes through the back door.

"Did you get the milk?" asks Lux, itching to dive into her cereal.

"That I did," she answers, setting the carton down in front of her.

"Excellent," replies Lux, grabbing it.

Ryan looks at his wife in horror. She doesn't seem hungover at all.

"How did you get rid of your hangover so fast?"

"I haven't. But I've already had three mugs of coffee, so I think that's been helping. You look a bit rough," she smiles.

"Yeah, I've definitely felt better."

"Did you tell Ryan about going to see Tasha?" she says, kissing her husband before reaching for another mug of coffee. She raises it at her husband, asking him if he wants a mug. He nods his head.

"Yeah, I told him," she answers, bouncing around the kitchen energetically.

"I haven't seen you this excited in a long while. It's nice to see," smiles Cate.

"I just can't wait to see her again. It's been too long. And, it won't be long until she's released, and she can come back to her apartment."

"It'll be great to see her back," says Cate.

"Yeah. I think she's even looking forward to getting back to Westmonte."

"Well that's something! Do you know when you'll be back home? I was hoping to get some help picking out a present for Matthew."

"I'm not sure, but I'll give you a ring when we leave. I don't think we should be that long," she offers. Everything is so regimented there, it's impossible to stay for long. Are we definitely going to see the baby tomorrow?"

"I need to give Julia a ring to make sure it's all right with her. When I find out, I'll let you know."

Lux and Jones park outside the juvenile detention centre. Lux climbs out of the car as soon as the car comes to a stop.

"Hey, slow down," laughs Jones. Even though he loves her enthusiasm, he would also like to walk into the centre beside her, not a mile behind.

"Sorry, guess I might be a little bit excited."

Jones laughs heartily. "Yeah, no kidding!" As they walk into the centre, he takes her hand. She smiles at him, so relieved he's there with her.

They are told to wait in a room, and to pick a table. They pick one in the middle of the room. As there are only two chairs around it, Jones makes sure Lux is sitting before pulling across a chair for himself. There aren't many people in the room, and only a handful of other visitors, so he doesn't think it should be a problem.

Now that's she's sitting in the room, Lux feels as though she has ants in her pants. She can't sit still, jumping out of her skin every time she hears a door open or close or a voice speaking.

"Lux, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I know this is going to sound stupid, but I'm nervous about seeing her. It's been a while since I've seen her."

Jones takes her hand into his, and strokes her skin.

"She'll be happy to see you. Knowing the two of you, as soon as you're together again, it'll be just like old times."

Lux opens her mouth to smile at her boyfriend, just as the far door opens, and in bounces Tasha. She's barely changed from the last time Lux saw her. She doesn't quite know why she expected there to be a change in her appearance. Perhaps she has watched too many prison shows where the person changes drastically within a few weeks of being in prison because of the hardships of prison life.

Tasha leaps right into her friends arms, knocking Lux back a few steps as she does so.

"I am so happy to see you," she says, only then noticing that Jones is standing beside the table. She throws her arms around him, happy to see her two friends together.

"I am so happy to see you guys. How are things?" asks Tasha as the three of them sit down.

"Everything is great. Counting down to you getting out of here. How has it been?" asks Lux.

"It's been all right. I went through a bit of an adjustment problem at first, but it's all right now."

"It's a lot to get used to, I'm sure," comments Jones.

"Yeah, it is. But at least I'm leaving soon. I can't wait to get back to my apartment, sleep in my own bed again," she says, smiling broadly at the thought.

"We're going to have a big party for you when you get back. Everyone is looking forward to seeing you again."

"That's nice. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone too. How is everyone?"

"There's been a lot of changes. Ryan got an ex-girlfriend pregnant during a break with Cate, and now they have a baby boy. Ryan and Cate are back together now, and seem to be really happy. Baze and Emma broke up, and he had a party to re-open the bar last night."

"Wow. That's a lot to take in," answers Tasha, rubbing her head.

"Sorry, I guess that was a lot to throw at you in one go."

"It's all right. It'll be good to get back and see everyone again. What's happening with you two?" she asks, resting her head onto her hand and smiling at the two of them in turn. She swears she can see Lux blushing.

"We're taking things slowly," grins Jones.

"Good to hear. I'm glad you two are finally dating. It took you long enough though," she jokes.

"Yeah, I guess it did. But, we're together now!" beams Lux.

Lux, Jones and Tasha spent the rest of their time together catching up on school friends.

Before they know it, it's time to go.

"Have you been given a date for when you can get out of here?" asks Lux.

"Another three weeks, and then I'm out," she beams.

"Fantastic. Well, we'll be here to pick you up," she says. She swears under her breath, realising she hasn't discussed it with Jones yet.

"That we will," grins Jones.

Lux mouths 'thank you' at him, to which he smiles in response. She should have known that he would be almost as keen as her to pick Tasha up.

They hug before saying goodbye. Lux and Jones wait until Tasha is out of the room before they head out.

As they walk back to the car, Lux thanks Jones for agreeing to pick Tasha up with her.

"No problem. You know how much I like Tasha. I'm looking forward to her getting out as well. It'll be great to have her back."


	19. Chapter 19

By the time Jones drops Lux off at home, it's late afternoon.

She finds Ryan in the kitchen, going through emails on his laptop.

"Hey Ryan, where's Cate?"

"She's at the store. She wants to bring Matthew a present tomorrow."

"Oh, did Julia give her ok to us visiting?"

"She did. We're going over for lunch. I can't wait for the two of you to see the baby."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it as well. Do you think Cate is going to be all right?"

"I think so. I know she was very uncomfortable with the whole thing at first, but I think she's coming around. After all, she was the one who offered to go and see the baby tomorrow. I never thought she would do that."

"Me neither," she says, pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"Oh, how did things go with Tasha? I'm sure the three of you had fun catching up?"

"It was amazing. She's coming home in a few weeks, so I'm going to throw her a party. I was going to see if we could hold it at Baze's loft. It's nice and spacy."

"Sounds like a great plan," he says, watching his step-daughter yawning.

"Tired?"

"Yeah, exhausted. I guess the trip took more out of me than I realised. I was really nervous on the drive over."

"How come?"

"I'm not sure. Things have changed so much since she went away, and I guess I was worried that things had changed drastically for her as well."

"You thought she might not want you as a friend anymore?"

Lux nods he head, lowering her eyes from Ryan.

"Lux, there's nothing wrong with being worried, but you have to know that you and Tasha will always be connected. With everything that the two of you have been through, from Sunnyvale through to everything that happened at the trial. I have a feeling the two of you will be friends forever."

"Like you and Julia?"

Ryan is a little stunned at the question, but he manages to answer her.

"Yeah. Well, we do have Matthew together, so we'll always be in one another's lives because of him."

"How are you and Julia getting on? It must be strange for the two of you. I mean, you have a baby, but you're not together. In fact, you're married to another woman."

"Yeah, it's not the way I imagined becoming a father, but that's the way it's turned out. But what's important is that we're a team. We are raising Matthew together, and he's perfect!" he beams. Lux smiles at him. She's glad that they are working things out.

The back door springs open, and in bounds Cate. Her hands are loaded up with bags. Ryan and Lux rush to help her.

"Thanks guys. How was Tasha?" she asks.

"She's doing really well. She's getting out soon, so she's looking forward to sleeping in her own bed again."

"Oh, that reminds me, I'd better ring Fern to make sure everything will be all right for her return."

"There shouldn't be any problems, should there?" asks Lux, a little panicked.

"I think everything should be fine, I just want to double check. Don't worry."

"Great. What's in all the bags?"

"Well, I got some groceries for dinner. I'm going to be brave an attempt a chicken casserole. Isn't that great?" she comments. Ryan and Lux put on smiles, but they have tried her cooking before. It's very hit and miss. She made cupcakes for their dinner with Jones which were lovely, so maybe this won't be too bad. Hopefully.

"Great!"

"And I got a present for Matthew." She sets her bags down and pulls out a little plastic bag. From this, she yanks out a blue and yellow teddy bear.

"Isn't this the cutest?" she says, showing it to her husband and daughter.

"It's adorable. Matthew's going to love it. Thanks so much for doing this," smiles Ryan, leaning down and kissing her. She beams back at him.

"It's no problem. I just want Julia to know that everything is all right between us. She seemed excited to see us all tomorrow. Oh, Lux, did Ryan tell you we're going to Julia's for lunch tomorrow?"

"Yeah, he did. I'm looking forward to it. Well, I have some homework to do, so I may as well get some done before dinner."

"Great. I'll give you a shout when it's ready."

Baze has spent most of the day sleeping off the massive hangover he received the night before. Math is suffering as well, but Jamie looks as fresh as a daisy.

"You'd think we'd learn, wouldn't you?" asks Math, rubbing his throbbing head.

"Well at least we aren't drunk every single weekend. That's progress, right?" asks Baze.

"Give it time. Just wait until our first night on Monday," adds Jamie. Baze and Math look at one another nervously. They have come so far in the past few months; Baze in particular. Neither of them wants to take a step backwards.

"Hey, what happened with you and Cate's friend? The two of you spent a lot of time up here during the party," asks Jamie, slapping him playfully on the arm. Math has never been massively successful with women. At least, he's not in the same realm as Jamie and Baze in the dating world.

Math turns the colour of beetroot.

"I don't know. I really like her, and I think the feeling is mutual."

"What do you call her again?" asks Jamie. He has a terrible brain for remembering girl's names.

"Alice. Isn't that a beautiful name?" he says, his mind going off to a happy place.

Baze and Jamie burst out laughing.

"Someone's in love," they gush.

Math comes back to reality.

"Yeah, but what if she doesn't like me? You remember what happened with Paige?" he asks, panicking a little.

He had gone out on a date with Ryan's little sister, Paige while she was staying in the loft with them. The date had gone well, and he thought she had liked him too, especially when she had kissed him at the end of the night, but it turned out she had done it just to end the night. He was crushed by it, and hadn't dated since.

Baze moves to the coffee maker, slapping his friend on the shoulders.

"If you really like her, then you need to find out. Ask her out on a date. Meet her for lunch, something."

Math nods his head.

"Did you get her number?" asks Jamie.

Math's jaw drops.

"No, I didn't. I totally forgot to ask," he says in a 'doh' kind of way.

"Then I would give Cate a ring and see if she will give you her phone number."

Math's heart starts pounding. He hates this, but he really likes Alice. He can only hope it all works out.


	20. Chapter 20

Cate and Ryan are in the kitchen making dinner when her cell phone rings. She smirks when she sees 'Math' flashing back at her.

"Hello you," she answers, mouthing 'Math' to Ryan when he silently enquires who she's speaking to.

"Yeah, sure, I'll just get her number for you. But you have to promise you'll call me and tell me what happens," she says, reaching into her bag and grabbing her little address book.

After giving him the number, she wishes him the best and hangs up.

"What was that about? Why did you give him Alice's phone number?"

"They hung out at Baze's party. He's going to ask her out, isn't that fabulous?" she grins excitedly.

Ryan's face transforms with uncertainty.

"What's that look for?"

"I don't know, I never thought of those two as a couple. He's a bit of a geek, and she's well, not."

"Oh come on, she has her geeky moments."

Ryan laughs.

"Well, yeah, but I still can't see the two of them together."

"I think they'd be really cute together. And besides, they are both lovely people, and they deserve to be happy."

"I agree with that. I guess we have to wait and see what happens," he says, knowing fine rightly that his wife is crossing her fingers and toes that they end up together.

The next morning, and Cate, Lux and Ryan are dashing around the house, getting ready to head over to Julia's for lunch. It is meant to be a friendly, relaxed, get to know Julia and Matthew event, but it's been treated like a royal wedding. Everyone is worried about how everyone else is going to cope, and they all have everything crossed that it all goes well.

Knock, knock.

Julia answers the door after a few moments, the baby in her arms.

"Hey," says Ryan.

"Hi guys, come on in. Matthew is all ready for socialising," she smiles, standing aside so they can all go through.

Julia has the cutest apartment. There is a large couch on the far side of the room, with a little table in front of it which she has already covered with mugs, a coffee pot and sandwiches and cookies.

From the second she sees the baby, Cate can't take her eyes off him. He looks just like Ryan when he was a baby. There was a little itch of doubt at the very back of her brain that Ryan was the baby's father, but now that she's face to face with Matthew, she knows he is. There is absolutely no denying it.

"Oh, we got this for Matthew. I hope he like it?" says Cate, handing her the present. Julia gives Matthew to Ryan before ripping the gift open. She lifts out the teddy bear with delight.

"Thank you so much, it's adorable."

"Great. I'm glad you like it," she says, watching as she gives Ryan the teddy bear. Matthew is immediately taken with the bear, and starts to play with it.

"How are you both doing? I hope you've recovered from the party?" asks Cate.

"We're both doing well. And thank you for inviting me to the party, it was a lot of fun. It's was great getting out, and talking about something other than babies."

Cate and Lux are enthralled with how well Ryan and Matthew get on. From the second he is placed in Ryan's arms, he immediately looks up and smiles at his father.

Over sandwiches, coffee and cookies, Cate and Julia do most of the talking, getting to know one another. It pains Cate to admit it, but she really likes this woman. She can see why Ryan was so attracted to her in the first place. She's very kind and sweet, and very attentive to Ryan and the baby. They make a very cute family.

Lux tells Julia about her boyfriend, Jones, and about Tasha and their plans for a party when she gets out. She asks Julia if she wants to come, to which she happily accepts.

"Thank you so much for coming over for lunch. It was great getting to know you all."

"Thanks for inviting us. You'll have to come over to our place for dinner sometime. We could make a real evening of it," says Cate. She looks over at her husband, who is beaming. This is just what he wanted. The three women in his life are getting on brilliantly. He couldn't ask for more.

"Fantastic. Just let me know when you want me to come over, and I'll be there. Provided I can get a babysitter," she laughs.

"I guess your world has really changed. You used to be able to do anything, go anywhere, and now you have to make sure the baby is taken care of before you can even leave the apartment," asks Lux.

"Yeah, it's been a big adjustment, but it's worth it. I wouldn't trade this in for anything," she says, beaming. No one is in any doubt that she means every word of it.

Before they leave, Julia and Cate swap phone numbers. Cate promises to be in touch soon to arrange a dinner date.

They climb back into Ryan's jeep and take off.

"So, what do you both think of Matthew? Isn't he amazing?" says Ryan.

"He's gorgeous, Ryan, and he's the spitting image of you."

"Yeah. My mum said that as well, but I still can't see it. I think he looks more like Julia."

"Your mom has seen Matthew?"

"No, not yet. She's seen the photos on my phone. I think she's going to see him next week."

"I'm sure she'll love being a grandmother."

"Oh, she already does. She's been sending over toys and clothes since I told her about the baby."

Lux is sitting in the back seat, beaming at the two adults in the front. They have had a lot of difficulties in their relationship, but now, they are stronger than ever.


	21. Chapter 21

Math doesn't pluck up the courage to call Alice until lunchtime on Monday. He manages to catch her just before she goes into a meeting at the radio station.

"Hey, do you remember me? We met at Baze's re-opening party? Math?" he asks, his lack of confidence showing. In most ways, he's a confident, self-assured man. But when it comes to women, his confidence hits the floor.

"Of course I remember you. How's things?" asks Alice.

"Things are great. Um, I was just wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner some time? Maybe this weekend?" he asks tentatively.

Silence.

"Hello, are you still there?" he asks, panicked. He can't have put her off that quickly, can he?

"Yeah, I'm here. I'd love to go out with you. I'm being called into a meeting, so could you ring me later and we can arrange everything?"

"Absolutely. I'll call you this evening, if that's all right?"

"Perfect. Talk to you then," she says, hanging up. Trina has just walked past her, and she doesn't like people making private arrangements during work hours.

Math jumps up and down. Realising he's in school, and therefore in public, with teenagers, he looks all around him anxiously to make sure no one can see him. There's no one there, so he quickly bounces again before heading off to his next class.

Tonight is the official opening night for Open Bar, and Baze is running around like a head with its head cut off. He's feeling super frantic about everything, and he's driving Jamie insane.

"Baze, will you please calm down before I have to knock you out with some chloroform. Everything is in order. The drinks are being delivered in an hour, the food is on its way, the dj is booked and ready to go, and anyone who is anyone in Portland is going to be here tonight. Now relax, and chill out! You're giving me a headache."

"You're right, you're right. I'm sorry. This is just freaking me out. So much is riding on this bar being a success, and I don't want to do anything to jeopardise that!"

Jamie walks up to his friend and pours him a beer.

"Everything is fine. The bar is going to be the biggest bar in Portland, and you have the best bartender in town as an employee, now sit down and drink this before I smack you over the head with the bottle," he says. Baze looks at Jamie. He takes a deep breath and knocks back the beer. This is going to be a long day.

Lux meets Jones for lunch at school. She nearly falls off her seat when she sees him eating salad.

"All right, who are you and what have you done with Jones?" she jokes.

"What can I say, you've become a terrible influence on me. Before you know it, I'll be wearing those little hats with the pocket on the side," he laughs.

"I think it might suit you," she giggles.

"How did things go yesterday with your family? Was Cate ok with the baby?"

A smile pops onto Lux's face at the memory.

"She was amazing. She and Julia were chatting away like they've been friends for years, it was great. Ryan is so in love with the baby, it was really sweet. I think things are going to be great between them. They have worked through all their issues, and things are going well," she beams.

This is exactly what she wanted when she was lying in her bed in Sunnyvale, thinking about a life she could only dream about. She has a fantastic, loving mother, a supportive and caring father, an amazing step-father, and the perfect boyfriend. The only thing she's missing is her best friend, but Tasha was getting out of juvenile detention in a few short weeks. She hoped the time would fly in.

"I'm glad to hear things went well. Sounds like everything is turning around?"

"Yeah, they are."

Her phone vibrates in her pocket. She lifts it out and glares at the screen.

"I'll be back in a minute, I need to take this," she says, leaving the table and heading out into the corridor.

"Bug, what do you want?" she shouts down the phone.

"I need to see you, it's important. I'm outside!" he says, hanging up before she has the chance to protest.

She quickly looks back into the lunch room. Jones is riffling through the salad bowl, picking out the tomatoes. She heads outside before giving herself the chance to think about it.

Bug is sitting on his bike, waiting for her. Lux's mind goes back to the many times she would come out of school and find him waiting for her. It always put a smile on her face, but now, it's chilling her blood. Why is he back after all this time?

"What do you want?" she asks, walking right up to him with her arms folded in front of her.

"Well aren't we on the defensive? I just want to talk, that's all," he says, seemingly hurt.

"Bug I just want to know what you want, I have class starting soon."

"All right. I'm moving back to Portland, and I wanted to know if we could get back to where we were before I left?"

Lux can't believe it. She had feared something like this, but didn't think he would have the nerve.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I know I messed up before I left, and I'm sorry about that. But I want to make it up to you. Maybe we can go back to the days when things were good between us."

"No, Bug. I've moved on. My life is different now, and I'm not going back. I can't make you stay away from Portland, but I can make you stay away from me. I don't want to see you again, Bug. Please, leave me alone!" she says, turning to leave.

"I love you Lux. I always have, and I always will!" he shouts after her.

Lux doesn't respond. She heads back to school and goes back to Jones.

"Um, I have to go, I'm not feeling well. Could you pick up any homework assignments for me?" she asks, grabbing her bag.

"Yeah, sure. Do you want me to come with you?" he asks.

"No, I'll be fine. I'm just going to head home and go to bed. I'll call you later, all right," she says, quickly kissing him before heading out.

"Cate? Ryan, are you home?"

Lux bounds into the house, but there's no one there. She heads upstairs and collapses onto her bed in a deluge of tears. She can't believe how quickly things have changed. From telling Jones how well things had gone at Julia's to this new nightmare with Bug.

The front door opens and closes. Heading downstairs she finds Cate in the kitchen, putting away groceries.

"Cate?"

Her mother turns around. When she sees the look of anguish on her daughter's face, she throws her arms around her.

"What's happened? Are you sick?"

"No, Bug came by school. He's moving back to town, and he wants me back," she says in between tears.

"What's he doing back in town? I thought he was gone for good?"

"So did I."

"Does he know about you and Jones?"

"I don't think so. I've never told him about Jones. I don't think it would matter. He knows what he wants, and he goes after it. I don't know what to do, Cate."

"Well hopefully hearing you say you don't want him will make him realise that he's wasting his time. If he doesn't, then we might have to go down the legal route."

"I don't know if I want to go that far."

"We'll see what happens. If he leaves you alone, then we'll drop the issue. If he doesn't, then we are going to do everything to make sure he stays away from you, don't worry about that. If you see him again, Lux, you call me. Does Baze know about this?"

"He knows that he called me, but he doesn't know about today."

"All right. Well I'll call him and let him know what's happening. Do you want to go and get some rest? You look exhausted?"

That's the best offer she's had all day. She quickly goes into the bathroom to wash her face before heading back to her room. She's asleep within seconds.


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: Apologies for the long delay in posting new chapters. I haven't been well, but feeling better now, and getting back on track. Hope you enjoy them. **

Lux wakes up when her cell phone vibrates on the bedside table. She looks at her phone as though it were a bomb. What if it's Bug? Hesitantly, she reaches over and grabs it. A smile pops onto her face when she sees 'Jones'.

"Hey you," she says, her face beaming.

"Hey. I just wanted to see how you're feeling?"

Lux feels bad for more or less walking out on Jones at lunch, but after her confrontation with Bug she didn't feel up to continuing with her classes. She didn't want to upset Jones by telling him about Bug's re-emergence, but she didn't like lying to him either.

"I wasn't totally honest with you. I'm not sick. Bug came by school."

"So that's why you left me at lunch? To go and talk to your ex-boyfriend?" he asks angrily.

"I know it sounds bad, but I got rid of him."

"What did he want?"

Knowing how angry he was by her admitting that she had seen Bug, a large part of her wants to lie again and tell him that he just wanted them to catch up. But she knows she can't do that. Honesty is always the best policy.

"He's moving back to town, and wants us to start where we left off," she says, almost in a whisper.

There's silence on the other end of the phone.

"Jones? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. What did you say to him?"

"I said no, obviously. Did you think I'd want to be with him again?" she asks incredulously. She can't imagine someone even thinking that, especially someone like Jones who knows about her history with Bug.

"Well, I wasn't so sure. You and Bug were a very intense couple, and I didn't think you'd pass up the chance to be with him again."

Lux sighs heavily.

"Yeah, we were intense. But he wasn't the person I thought he was, and I don't want to go back there again."

"So I don't have anything to worry about?"

"No, of course not," she answers quickly.

There is a little laugh on the other end of the phone. "Well, that's all right then. Are the two of you going to see each other again?"

"No. I told him to stay away from me."

"That must have been tough."

"Yeah, it was. But it had to be done. I've moved on, and I'm happy. I just want him to do the same."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it. So, I'll see you in school tomorrow?"

"Definitely."

As she hangs up the phone, she can feel the sides of her lips strained with the massive smile on her face. He always has the ability to brighten her mood.

Lux turns her head as she hears feet ascending the staircase into her bedroom. When her mother's face pops up, she grins at her.

"You're awake! Did you have a good sleep?"

"Yeah, I did. I was just talking to Jones."

"Does he know about Bug's reappearance?" asks Cate, settling herself on the bed beside her daughter.

"I just told him. He took it really well. I was so nervous about telling him, but he was great about the whole thing."

"Well that's because he loves you. I'm pleased you have someone like him in your life."

"Me too."

Mother and daughter smile at one another.

"Are you coming downstairs? Ryan is just out getting something to eat."

"Yeah, sounds fantastic," she answers, climbing to her feet and following her mother downstairs.

"Does Ryan know about Bug?" she asks.

"Yes, I told him when he got home. He wasn't very happy about it. He doesn't want Bug to hurt you again."

"Don't worry, he won't. He's out of my life now, and that's the way he's going to stay."

Cate gathers her daughter into a hug, squeezing gently.

"Good to hear!"

Over at the loft, Math tells Baze all about the plans he has for his first date with Alice over a large pepperoni pizza. Jamie is downstairs serving the dinner time customers, but it's due to get busy soon.

"I was thinking of taking her to that new Italian restaurant down the road. Then maybe a movie?"

"Sounds perfect. When's it all happening?"

"Friday night." replies Math. He's slowly eating a slice of pizza, but it's worrying Baze. Math loves his food, and by this stage he has usually gone through at least two slices.

"What's the matter with you?"

"I'm nervous. I'm not good at dating, Baze, and I don't want to disappoint Alice."

Baze smiles. He has been around when Math has really fallen for a girl, taken her out, and it all falls apart. If he manages to get a second date, it's cause for a party. The most recent let down was when he went out with Ryan's little sister, Paige. They went out once, and Math was under the impression it had gone well, especially when she kissed him at the end of the date. It turned out that she had only kissed him to end the date, and that she wasn't interested in him at all. It broke his heart at the time, and it took him a while to recover.

"Dating is a horrible thing, but perhaps you need to relax a little," answers Baze, reaching for another slice of pizza. He's going to have a long night ahead of him at the bar, and he needs all the sustenance he can get.

"What do you mean 'relax'?"

"I mean, you get yourself wrapped into knots before a date. Just take a deep breath, and enjoy it."

"I don't think I can do that. I want her to enjoy herself, and I'm not sure how I can guarantee that."

"You can't. Just be yourself, and you'll be fine," smiles Baze warmly. He wishes Math could relax during dates. He has watched him trying to chat up women in the bar, and he's just not good at it. He had hoped that spending so much time with himself and Jamie would mean the skills might rub off on him, but it hasn't happened.

Math sighs, finally reaching for another slice of pizza.


	23. Chapter 23

"Ok, so our topic for this morning is your college years? Were you Ms Popularity, or Ms Nobody?"

The banter between the co-hosts and their phone-in participants makes Alice almost choke on her breakfast bagel a few times. The story that Cate continued to live with her head in her books during her college years surprises no one. Neither is the news that Ryan was class president.

At the end of the show, Ryan and Cate head off to lunch with Alice. It is intended as a business lunch, but these meetings usually turn into a catch up between the three friends. They are always so busy at work that they don't get the chance to speak about anything personal.

"So, how are things with the two of you?" asks Alice, playing with her food. There is a knot in her stomach that is killing her interest in the food before her. She wishes she had just gone for a liquid lunch.

Cate and Ryan smile warmly at one another.

"We're doing really well. What's going on with you?" asks Ryan.

A small grin pops onto her face.

"Everything is great. I actually have something to tell you both. Math asked me out."

Cate practically squee's with delight.

"That's fantastic. I had hoped he would. When are the two of you getting together?"

"He's picking me up at my place on Friday night, and then we're going out to some new restaurant. I need your advice actually. You both know Math really well. Do you think I'm doing the right thing by going on a date with him?" she asks hesitantly. She not feeling very confident about the situation, especially so soon after the end of her marriage. But he seems like such a nice man.

"Alice, you have nothing to worry about. Math is a lovely, caring man. I know the two of you will get along. I have a real good feeling about it," replies Cate. Alice looks over at Ryan, who nods his head enthusiastically.

Alice sighs heavily, playing with the pasta in the bowl in front of her.

"You're still not convinced, huh?"

A little smile appears on Alice's face. Cate knows her so well.

"I can't help it. I haven't done this dating thing in a long time. I'm very rusty. What if he thinks I'm a joke?"

"Of course he won't think you're a joke. It's normal to be nervous and anxious, but it'll be good for you to go out with him. And he is genuinely the sweetest guy," replies Cate.

Alice nods her head. She knows she's probably over analysing everything, but she can't help feeling uneasy about it. She looks over at Ryan.

"Just go on Friday and see what happens. If it doesn't work out, then that's fine, you haven't lost anything. But what if it does work out?"

"I hadn't thought of it like that," she grins. "All right, I'll go. At the very least, it'll be nice to have a good dinner," she says, the knot in her stomach finally easing enough to eat something.

Lux and Jones meet up for their daily lunch date.

"How's your day going?" asks Lux, crashing down beside her boyfriend.

"Oh you know, never changes. How are things with you? People don't seem to be talking about you and Mr Daniels anymore. "

"Thank goodness. I couldn't take much more of the evil looks and finger pointing."

Jones gives her his best warm and caring smile.

"I know how tough that was for you. But now you're out of that, things are looking great. Your family is working itself out, and you have an amazing boyfriend."

"How did you find out about him?" jokes Lux, trying desperately not to smile.

Jones pretends he's upset. "So what are our plans for tonight?"

"Well, I have homework to get through, so how about we get some pizza first?" offers Lux.

Jones nods, his eyes trained on Lux. She leans over and kisses him.

Cate and Ryan sit down to dinner. She's being brave again and making an attempt at making dinner from scratch. She's decided on a chicken casserole. Should be fairly simple, and so far so good. Ryan does his bit my bringing home a cake for dessert.

She watches as Ryan takes a hesitant first bite. Half expecting him to dash to the bathroom to deposit it in the toilet, she's relieved when a smile explodes across his face. "This is really good," he says, eagerly grabbing some more.

Smiling, Cate starts eating herself.

"So what do you think about Alice and Math dating?" asks Cate. They are two people she never imagined being together, but now that they have hit it off she is elated. She really hopes they can make it work. They are two of her favourite people, and she really wants the best for them.

"I think it's great. I hope they can make it work."

"I hope so too. Alice is really nervous, and I suspect Math is as well. He always puts on this show of being confident, and that nothing bothers him, but it's not true."

"I'm sure he is. First dates are awful. I'm not sure how we managed to get through ours in one piece."

"Maybe they'll get married?" grins Cate.

Ryan laughs. "Hey, hang on, give them time. They haven't even been on their first date yet."

"I know, I'm just excited, that's all. I'll calm down now, I promise."

"At risk of killing the good mood, has Lux heard from Bug again?"

"No thankfully. Hopefully it'll stay that way. I can't believe he called her. What the hell was he thinking?" she comments, stabbing her fork through a piece of chicken. Even the mere mention of his name makes her angry.

"Good to hear. Hopefully Lux telling him to stay away has done the trick."

"It better. If he calls her again, I'm going straight to the police," she answers strongly.

Ryan fires a worrying look at his wife. He hates it when her voice goes like that. It always means that someone is in trouble.


	24. Chapter 24

Friday night arrives quickly enough. Cate heads over to Alice's house to help her get ready, and to help calm her nerves a little. Alice hasn't been able to eat all day with the intense butterflies in her stomach. She has gone through her wardrobe a hundred times and still can't decide what she wants to wear. She wishes she could borrow something from Cate, but her friend is petite, and nothing would fit her.

"Cate, how am I going to do this? I can't even remember the last time I was on a date with a new guy," she says, her teeth practically chattering with nerves.

Cate doesn't mean to do it, but she can't help letting out a little laugh. When her friend looks at her, a horrified look on her face, she immediately chokes down another couple of giggles.

"I'm sorry. I understand that this is scary, but you need to relax a little. You'll never be able to enjoy yourself if you're a bundle of nerves. I guarantee Math is just as nervous about this date as you are."

Alice crashes down on her bed to put her shoes on, although she's having a hard time focusing on the straps.

"You're right. Give me some topic tips. What does he like?"

"Well, he's a teacher, you could ask him about that. He lives with Baze, so that's another topic. I'm sure he has a few good stories about that," smiles Cate. Knowing the man she first met when Lux came into their lives she can only imagine the debauchery they partook in.

Math rings the doorbell. His heart is pounding through his ribcage. He hasn't felt this nervous in the longest time, but he's trying to knock that down. Whatever happens, he's determined to enjoy the night.

Cate opens the door to Math, to be greeted by a warm smile that evaporates when he sees her.

"Cate? Is everything all right?" he asks, worried.

"Yes, everything's fine, I was just giving Alice a hand to get ready. She'll be out in a few seconds. Have a good time," she says, tapping him on the arm as she walks past him.

Math looks into the small hallway, not knowing what to do. Should he walk in, or wait? Alice pops her head from behind a wall.

"Hiya. Do you want to come in? I'm almost ready," she smiles.

He walks along the hallway and finds himself in a tiny living room. She still has a lot of things in boxes, as she hasn't been in the apartment long, but she has set out some photo frames. He has a look at them, smiling at the sight of Alice with Cate in a couple of photos, and one with Alice, Cate and Ryan. It's nice that they are so close.

"Sorry, I couldn't decide which shoes to wear."

Math looks behind him as Alice walks into the room. She's wearing a beautiful cream trouser suit that looks amazing on her. He looks down to see what shoes she picked, finding a pair of strappy black sandals.

"Good choice. You look fantastic," he gushes.

"Thank you," she beams. Off to a good start.

Cate struggles with the three bags of groceries as she walks into the house, finding her daughter sitting at the kitchen table, books and a laptop in front of her.

"Can you grab this bag before I drop it?" she says.

Lux grabs the bottom bag and sets it on the kitchen counter.

"What's with all the groceries?" she asks. There's usually not a massive need for a lot of groceries in the Cassidy/Thomas house as there is rarely much cooking going on. Now that Cate is embracing her inner domestic diva, she's discovered all the aisles in their local grocery store, not just the candy, juice, alcohol and bread aisles.

"I've invited Baze over for dinner. He's on his own at the loft with Math being out on his date. Jamie has the bar under control, so I think he's feeling a bit neglected. I thought it would be nice if he came over here."

"Fantastic. What about Ryan? Is he with Julia?"

"Yeah, he's with the baby, but he's hoping to make it back for dinner. I'll keep something for him, just in case."

"Ryan's spending a lot of time over there, huh?" she says, more as a general comment than a criticism.

"Yeah, he is, but he wants to bond with the baby. We actually need to arrange for Julia to come over for dinner sometime. We talked about it at Baze's party, but haven't done anything about it."

Lux nods her head, putting away some of the groceries.

"When is Baze coming over?" she asks.

"I told him to be here for around seven. He was really excited when I asked him over. I don't think he's had a home cooked meal in a while, although he looked a bit concerned when I told him I was going to be making dinner."

"He's probably thinking about what happened at Thanksgiving," replies Lux, stifling a giggle.

"Hey, that casserole was good. My mother even said she could eat it!"

Lux can't do anything other than smile.

"Oh, I meant to tell you, I heard from Fern. Tasha is due to get out in two weeks."

"I thought it was closer to three weeks?"

"Apparently she's had a little time take taken off for good behaviour. We need to get over to her apartment and make sure that it's all fine. Plus, we'll need to stock her fridge and cupboards before she gets back."

The smile on Lux's face could eclipse the Hollywood sign.

"I thought you might like that bit of news."

"Of course, I can't wait to see her again. Can she go back to Westmonte again?"

"Yeah, that's no problem. They'll be keeping an eye on her, but that's to be expected."

"What for?" she asks, the smile dropping.

"They just want to make sure she's settling back into school. Don't worry," replies Cate. She wishes she hadn't brought it up. She knows how protective her daughter is of her friend, which she loves about her daughter, but she can be a little over protective sometimes.

Lux turns back to the groceries, but she's still not happy about this turn of events.

"Think positively Lux. Tasha will be back here in two weeks. The time will fly in."

She nods.

"You're right. And I have a party to plan. Baze said I could use his place, so I'd better tell him to move it up a week."

"Sounds like fun."


	25. Chapter 25

Baze arrives at exactly seven o'clock.

"You're on time?" says Cate. "Are you feeling all right?" she asks, smirking.

"Hey, I can be on time when need be," he answers, handing her a bottle of wine. She grins at it, knowing that the two of them will have a lot of fun emptying it.

"Come on in. Our daughter is just finishing up the salad."

"You got her to cook? How did you manage that? The only thing I can get her to make is a bowl of cereal."

"I'm not sure, but she's grown up a lot the past few weeks. I think everything that happened with you know who has really changed her."

Cate doesn't like to even mention the name of Lux's ex foster father. It turns her stomach to think of what her daughter went through when she was living with him. She's glad they never have to see him again, because she's not sure she'd be able to stop herself from hurting him.

A look of rage spreads on Baze's face. Cate is glad she's not alone in her hatred of this person, but she knows Baze would do a lot more damage to him than she could. She decides to change the subject.

"How's the bar going?"

They take a seat on the little couch in her living room.

"It's going really well. Our regulars have come back, and they're bringing friends with them."

"Fantastic. I bet you're all relieved it's going well."

"We are. Jamie has just moved back into the loft. He said he wanted to be close to the bar so he'd be able to cut out his travelling time, but I think he's just happy to be out of his mother's house."

"Yeah, I guess he can't be as hospitable with his lady friends when he has to bring them back to his mother's place."

Baze can only laugh.

"Hey," says Lux, moving into the living room.

"How are you getting on?" asks Cate.

"All done. I finished the icing on the cake as well," she says, happily receiving a huge Baze hug. Her father's hugs are one of her favourite things. He's so much bigger than her that he practically swallows her up in his arms.

They move to the table, Baze and Lux take one side, leaving Cate with the other side. She has set up the place beside her, just in case Ryan arrives. Cate heads into the kitchen and starts putting out the dishes of food.

"What's Jones up to tonight?" asks Baze, reaching for a bottle of orange juice. He pours a glass for his daughter before pouring two glasses of wine for himself and Cate.

"He's having a family night as well," she replies, smiling.

"Things going well between the two of you?"

"Everything is going really well."

"Good to hear. Have you heard anything from Bug again?"

"No thankfully," she says, taking a sip of her orange juice. She has come to hate discussing anything Bug related, as it tends to bring up bad memories.

Cate joins them at the table now that everything has been laid out.

"How do you think the date is going?"

She's been itching to get Baze's viewpoint on everything, given that he knows Math a lot better than her. He can't help but let out a little chuckle.

"He was so nervous. It was adorable," he says, loading his plate with food. Cate looks on with happiness. Perhaps he has forgotten that she is the cook, but he's certainly enthusiastic.

"Alice was a bit terrified. She's forgotten how dates work, I think," smiles Cate.

"Yeah, it's a bit rough when you've been in a relationship and you have to go back into the whole dating world," replies Baze, his face becoming very serious for a moment. Cate and Lux look at one another. Neither of them has wanted to bring up the whole issue of Emma since the break up, but she's clearly still on his mind.

"I don't think I could do it again, that's for sure. Hopefully the date will go well. They're both lovely people."

"Here's hoping. I'll get the full rundown when Math gets home."

"Yeah, Alice is going to give me a call when it's over. What did you think when he told you they were going to go on a date?"

"I was really happy about it. He's had a rough time with girlfriends. You know what he was like in high school with women. Well, it didn't get much better afterwards. I don't know why, but he gets so nervous with women."

"I know, I don't get it either. Alice has always been great with men. She always had a boyfriend, right up until she met Jeff."

"What were they like as a couple? I never met him."

"I always thought they were good together. He was a lot older than her, and he had kids, meaning she would be a step mum, but she seemed to take to it."

"You seem surprised at that?" asks Lux, happily enjoying her hard work in the kitchen. Even though she only made the salad, it's the best salad she's ever tasted.

"Yeah, I was. She was never a real kid person. Anytime anyone brought a baby to the station she would find something else to do in another room. I never thought she'd be a parent, even a step parent."

"Were you a kid person?" asks Lux.

Cate looks over at Baze, a very worried look on her face. How do you explain something like this? Especially to your own child. There aren't any words of advice he can offer.

"Um, no, I wasn't. But we all change," she says, a meek smile on her face. She's relieved when Lux nods her head and returns to her salad.

"Have you talked to Tasha recently?" asks Baze.

Lux immediately perks up, her head rising from her plate, smiling insanely at her father.

"She's getting out in two weeks. Good behaviour or something. Which means that I need to move up her party by a week. Is that all right?"

"Yeah, just give me the time and date, and I'll make sure everything is set up. You excited to get her back?"

"I can't wait. It seems like so long since she was here."

The front door opens.

"Hey," says Ryan, bursting into the living room and throwing his jacket on the couch. He leans down to kiss his wife before sitting down beside her, eagerly reaching for the plates of food in the middle of the table.

"Have you not eaten yet?" asks Cate, watching as her husband grabs for food.

"No, I never got the chance. I was looking after the baby while Julia was out running a few errands, and then we got talking about having a naming party for the baby. Baze, we were wondering if we could borrow your bar for the night?" he asks.

"Sure, no problem. Happy to help. Just let me know when you need the bar, and we can work it all out."

"Fantastic, thank you. We haven't settled on a date yet, we need to see when suits people, but I'll let you know. How have things been here?" he asks, happily annihilating the food on his plate. His stomach feels as though he hasn't eaten anything in days.

"Everything's great, we just started dinner. How's Julia and Matthew?"

"They're both doing well. I can't believe how big Matthew is getting already. Seems like only yesterday that he was born," he says, beaming with pride.

"I'm glad they're both doing well Ryan," says Lux, smiling at her step-father from the other side of the table. He happily returns her smile.

"Has there been any word from Alice and Math yet?"

"Nothing yet. They should just be getting to the restaurant," replies Baze, looking at his watch.

"Great. I know someone who's on tender hooks to hear all the gossip," he says, grinning at his wife.

"Yeah, I'm sitting by the phone, waiting for all the gossip," jokes Baze.

After dinner and dessert, the four of them gather in the living room.

"So what's new with school, Lux?" asks Ryan. He realises that he's been out of the loop for the past few weeks. Although he loves spending time with the baby, he's going to have to do something to bring his two worlds together.

"It's all right. There are a lot of tests coming up, so there's a lot of study to do."

"You'll do well. And I hear Tasha is coming back sooner than expected?"

"Yeah, in two weeks. She'll be out just in time for the exams, but she's been studying while she's been in. She'll probably be more prepared for the exams than me by the time she's back home."

Cate nods her head.

"Possibly, but then she's had a lot of free time to devote to her studies. You've had another few things going on recently."

"True. But now that everything is over and done with, I can get stuck in."

"I'm sure Jones will be more than happy to give you a hand. Just tell little dude to behave himself, all right," replies Baze. Even though her father is a very jovial man, she knows that he means every word of it. She wouldn't like to be in Jones' shoes if he ever did something to disrespect her.


	26. Chapter 26

Math holds the restaurant door open for Alice to pass through.

"Well thank you kind sir," she smiles. Such a gentleman.

After getting seated, they order a drink each and sit in silence for a couple of moments, both desperately trying to think of a conversation starter. When their drinks arrive, Math takes a long sip.

"So how are things at the station? Baze told me he's going to start co-hosting one day a week," he asks. He hates starting with a work question, especially considering it's the weekend, but he can't think of anything else.

A little smile pops onto Alice's face. She knows that Baze can be very rude sometimes, but he's so sweet and funny she knows most people would forgive him for most things. Even Ryan seems to be coming around to Baze, and it wasn't long ago that there was absolutely no love lost between them.

"Yeah, it's his first day on Monday. It should be a lot of fun. You never know what you're going to get with Baze, which will certainly make it interesting."

"To say the very least," laughs Math.

Now that the ice has been broken, Alice and Math chat happily during their meal, sharing stories about their lives, careers, and friends. One set of stories Alice takes particular delight in hearing surround Cate in school. She always knew her friend withheld a lot of information from her, as school was not a happy time for her, but hearing Math's take on it, even given the fact that he was clearly in love with her at the time, was enlightening. In many ways, it made her respect her friend even more.

"Come on Lux, I'll give you a hand to load the dishwasher," says Baze, standing up and practically herding her into the kitchen.

"It's all right, we can do it in the morning," says Cate quickly, but Baze clearly wants to spend some time with his daughter.

Lux brings the plates into the kitchen while Baze loads the dishwasher with the speed of a caterpillar.

"Baze, is everything all right?" she asks on her last trip.

"Yeah, everything's fine. But there's something I need to talk to you about," he says, setting a plate into the dishwasher and standing up, looking deeply into his daughter's eyes.

"What's going on?"

"I got a call from my dad. He said that he's been trying to contact you, but you've been rejecting his calls, and not answering his emails. I thought the two of you were getting pretty close?"

"We had been. I just don't want to talk to him right now. If my grandmother wants to call me, that's fine, but I don't want to talk to him."

Baze sighs heavily. He knew it was something like that, but he wanted to hear it from Lux personally.

"Is this because of what happened with Emma?"

She nods.

"Lux, I don't want that to change your relationship with your grandfather. Aside from anything else, it's upsetting your grandmother. She adores you, and it's making her sad that she can't spend time with you when he's there."

"Baze, I don't know if I can do that. I really like your mother, but I'm finding it hard to respect your father. He's done too many things, too many horrible things, and I don't think I can forgive him for that."

Baze smiles sadly. He knows that his daughter feels equally protective of him as he does of her, which he loves, but he doesn't want it to stop her from widening her relationships.

"I appreciate that, but this really isn't your battle, Lux. I was the one who was in a relationship with Emma. I know you are upset with it too, but I want you to get back on track with your relationship with my parents. Please."

At first, Lux is mad that Baze believes this doesn't affect her. He was deeply hurt by his girlfriend having an earlier relationship with his father, and if you hurt Baze, you hurt Lux. But she has to admit that she didn't lose anything in this. The person who lost out was Baze.

"I just don't like someone hurting you."

Baze leans down and kisses his daughter on the forehead.

"The feeling is mutual, believe me. But please, call my parents and arrange to meet them for dinner, or lunch or something. They are both itching to see you."

"I will, I promise."

Baze and Lux head back into the living room, finding Ryan and Cate kissing.

"I see things have been progressing in here. I think that might be my cue to leave. Lux, I think you have a phone call to make," throwing his arms around his daughter as he heads to the front door.

"Call me later after you talk with Math. I'm itching to find out what he thinks of the date," beams Cate as she and Ryan join Baze and Lux at the door.

"I will do. And thanks for an awesome dinner. You will all have to come over to the loft sometime for dinner."

"Definitely."

As they close the door, Cate opens her mouth to ask Lux about the secretive meeting in the kitchen, but Ryan pulls her closer to him. Looking up at him, he shakes his head. It has to be Lux's decision to tell her. After the court case, Cate hit the overprotective parent button, but she was starting to calm down now. He didn't want a reversal of that.

"So, that was a great night, huh?" asks Ryan, crashing back on the couch. His days have been increasingly busy since Matthew's arrival. Between work, the baby and his family with Cate it doesn't take much to exhaust him. He wishes there was some way he could add a couple of hours to each day.

"Yeah. It's nice to sit down and chat like that," replies Lux.

Cate heads into the kitchen to see what's happening in there. Ryan is about to join her, but Lux stops him.

"Thank you," she says simply.

"For what?" he asks, smiling at his step daughter.

"For being all right with Baze coming over for dinner."

"Well thank you for saying that, but it's really not necessary. Never thought I'd say this, but I like Baze. He's a great guy."

"Anyone want some coffee?" shouts Cate.

"Coffee sounds fantastic," beams Ryan.


	27. Chapter 27

Cate sits at the kitchen bench, checking her emails. She can't stop looking at the clock on the right hand side of the screen. There were no phone calls the night before about the big date, and she's a little concerned. Not knowing if this silence is a good or bad sign she's itching to call Alice to hear the news. She would love to call her now, but she suspects she's enjoying a lie in.

She hears Lux's footsteps coming down her little staircase.

"Morning Cate. Did Alice ring you last night?"

"Nope, I'm just biding my time until I can call her. Did you hear anything from Baze, by any chance?"

"No, he didn't call. He probably got stuck into work at the bar. Friday night is always busy," she says, pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"What are you doing up so early anyways? And on a Saturday. You usually stumble down the stairs just as Ryan and I are heading out the door."

"I'm meeting Jones for breakfast. We have a test on Monday, and we wanted to fit in a little bit more study."

"I thought you'd been studying all week?" asks Cate, a little concerned.

"I have, but a little Saturday morning cramming session can only be a good thing, right?"

Ryan comes into the kitchen and takes the glass of orange juice from her, taking a long sip before smiling at her.

"Hey, that was mine," she says, grinning. She can't be mad at Ryan, even though she'd like to be sometimes.

"So what's everyone doing today?" he asks, popping a couple of bagels into the toaster.

"Well I have a phone call to make in a couple of hours, and Lux has a study date."

Ryan can't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" asks Cate.

"You're such a gossip!"

"No I'm not, I'm just a concerned friend," she says, a little offended.

Ryan laughs as he heads to the bathroom. Cate turns to her daughter for some reassurance, but from the massive grin on Lux's face, she knows she's not going to get it.

"I hate calculus. When am I ever going to use it?"

Lux slams her notebook shut, throwing her head into her hands in frustration.

"I know, it's stupid, but there's nothing we can do about it. We just need to make the best of it, and then we can forget all about it," encourages Jones.

"That can't come soon enough," she says, raising her head, grabbing a chocolate bar and swig of cola before focusing on the textbook before her. "I thought I had all this worked out, but now that I'm here, I can't remember a thing. I'm going to fail this test, I know it!" she says, panicked.

Jones moves his chair so he's sitting beside his girlfriend.

"You're going to be fine, you're just nervous. Try to relax, take a deep breath, and you'll be great, I know it."

"I'm glad someone is so confident!"

"Try to think positive thoughts. Just over a week, and Tasha will be back!"

A massive grin pops onto Lux's face.

"You always know the right thing to say," she smiles, leaning forward to kiss him quickly.

"How are the party plans going?"

"Baze said that the loft will be ready to go. I just have to get some chips, pretzels and drinks. I think he might do a little barbecue as well. There are a few people I have to invite, and then I think it's all done," she says, silently going over everything again.

"It's going to be a great party. I'm can't wait for Tasha to come back."

Lux doesn't need to answer.

Math wakes up with a pounding headache. He wishes he could take a sick day, but he has tests to oversee. There is a knocking at his bedroom door, which feels like a little drummer boy inside his skull.

"Math, are you decent?" asks Baze. He opens the door gingerly. When he spots his friend still lying in his bed, he grabs the blanket and drags it away.

"Come on, rise and shine! Time for work! Young minds need your steady guidance!" he says loudly. Math clutches his head, the drummer boy saying an horrific hello.

"I can't believe it's morning already. When did that happen?" he asks, rubbing his eyes.

"Mornings come around far too quickly. Come on, the coffee is on," he says, moving back out to the kitchen.

Groaning and moaning, he climbs out of his bed and heads straight to the coffee maker.

"So, how was the date? I didn't get the chance to talk to you when you came in, but it was late," asks Baze, taking a massive bite from a slice of toast.

Math pours a large mugful of caffeine, looking at it as though it's the Hope Diamond. He knocks back a few large gulps before answering.

"Yeah, the people at the restaurant practically had to throw us out," he laughs.

"So you had a good time?"

Math can't wipe the smile from his face.

"It was amazing. Alice is just the sweetest, funniest person. And she's so pretty," he gushes.

Baze starts laughing.

"What?"

"You're in love!"

"I am not!" says Math, but he really can't hide it. "All right, I might be in love with her. I can't help it, she's just amazing," he says, his mind heading off to his new happy place; a re-run of the date.

"Have you arranged for another date?"

"Yeah, we're going to go out again next Saturday night. We were talking about dinner again, and then a movie."

"Sounds great."

"Yeah. I was actually thinking of asking her out for lunch sometime. What do you think?"

Baze stops eating his toast to stare at his friend.

"What's that look for?"

"You still don't trust yourself, do you?"

"I'm not good at this stuff, Baze. I can't remember the last time I had a second date, so I'm not sure what the decorum is for this."

Baze fights back a laugh. You can't half tell he's a teacher.

"The decorum, as you put it, is to relax and not over think everything," he says, grabbing a couple of slices of toast and his coffee mug before heading into the little living room area, putting the television on and crashing down on the couch.

Math looks over at his friend. He is always at such ease with himself. Whatever he decides he wants to do, whether it's right or wrong, he goes about it wholeheartedly, and doesn't often doubt himself. He wishes he could be so confident.

"So asking her out for lunch sounds like a good idea?" he asks, just for confirmation.

"Absolutely."

Math nods, resting himself beside his friend as they make plans for the day.


	28. Chapter 28

Cate rushes through her morning routine, and when a decent time arrives, she grabs her keys to head over to Alice's.

"I thought you were going to call her?" asks Ryan, watching her dash around the room.

"That had been the plan, but I want to hear the story from her directly, rather than on the phone. What have you planned for the day?"

"I don't have anything planned yet. I thought we could spend the day together."

Cate stops in her tracks.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I just assumed you would want to see Matthew."

"My parents are going to see the baby today, and then Julia is spending the evening with her family."

"She didn't invite you along?"

"No. Her parents aren't very happy with the situation, and so it would just make things awkward if I showed up."

"What do you mean? How can they not be happy about the situation?"

"They are very traditional people, and they hate that the baby was born outside marriage. They blame me for the whole thing, so they don't want me around them."

"That's ridiculous," says Cate angrily.

"Tell me about it, but that's the way it is. Julia hopes they will calm down eventually, but for the time being, they don't want to see me."

Cate shakes her head in disgust. She can't believe people still think like that.

"Well how about we both pop over to see Alice, and then we head out to lunch or something?" she offers.

Ryan kisses his wife gently on the forehead.

"Sounds perfect."

"We had a lovely time, but I'm a little concerned," says Alice. She hands her friends two mugs of steaming coffee before sitting down in front of them. She looks around her living room, determined to get it sorted out over the weekend. It's been sitting in a mess for far too long, and she's really fed up with her belongings sitting in boxes and bags.

"Concerned about what?" asks Cate, unable to take a drink until she hears the answer to her question.

"Don't get me wrong, he's a lovely guy, but I think he might be more serious about this than I am."

Cate's heart falls to her stomach. That's not what she wanted to hear.

"I thought the two of you got on well?" she asks.

"We did. Like I said, he's a lovely guy, but he's not really my type. He's a bit geeky."

Ryan laughs. "You didn't know this beforehand?"

"Yeah, I knew, but it became a lot more apparent during dinner. He talked about having a couple of Star Wars swords in his bedroom. Isn't that a bit weird?"

"Light sabres," interrupts Ryan, a sly smile on his face.

"Former geek?" grins Cate.

"No, but I have some geek tendencies," he laughs.

"You don't have a couple of light sabres in your bedroom, do you?"

"No, Cate wouldn't let me," he smiles. When Alice scoffs at his reply, he feels a little bad for teasing her. "I'm sorry Alice, but it really isn't a big deal. He's a single guy, living with, well, Baze. Is it really any surprise that he's a big kid?"

Alice looks over at Cate. He has a point.

"I guess you're right, but I still feel a little uneasy about it."

"Aside from the big kid thing, do you like him?" asks Cate, hoping for some light at the end of the tunnel.

"Yeah, I do. He was very attentive; always asking me if I was all right, and if there was anything I needed. It was really sweet. It's been so long since someone took such good care of me."

"Then just see how it goes. You never know, he might just be the man for you," grins Cate.

"I will. He called me just before you guys came over, and we've arranged to meet up again this weekend. At the very least, I'd like us to be friends. I just don't think we'll be anything more than that."

From the look on Cate's face, Alice knows that she's hoping this could be a long term relationship, but she doesn't see it that way. As nice a guy as Math is, she doesn't see this being a great love affair.

"We'll see what happens, but don't get your hopes up, all right?" she says. She's thankful for their support, but she doesn't want them to be disappointed if it doesn't turn out the way they want it to.

After leaving Alice's place, Cate and Ryan head off to their favourite restaurant for lunch.

"So what did you make of that?" asks Ryan, although he already knows the answer.

"I'm not sure what to make of it, to be honest. She says she likes Math, which is a good thing, but then she says she can't see herself with him. Is that not a bit of a contradiction?"

"Not necessarily. You can like someone who's not your type. Just give them a little bit of time. They already like one another. There's still a chance it could work out."

Cate sighs, playing with the salad on her plate. She knew they wouldn't go on a date one day and get engaged the next, but she had hoped that it would go better than this.

Ryan looks at his wife sadly. He knows she had hoped for more than this, but it's beyond her control.

"I know you're disappointed, but it's up to them to work it out. If they get together or just stay friends, it's their decision."

A small smile spreads across Cate's face. "You're right. The most important thing is that they're friends. Anything else that happens is a bonus," she grins, lifting her glass of iced tea and clicking it with her husbands.

After their study session, Lux and Jones decide to play some basketball.

"Jones, can I ask you something?" she asks tentatively. She knows how much he hates talking about his family, and so she's feeling very cautious, but she has a query.

"All right, what do you want to know?" he asks, bouncing the basketball in front of him.

"Can I meet your family sometime?"

He stops bouncing the ball, glaring at his girlfriend.

"Why would you want to do that?" he asks incredulously.

"Well, you've met my family. You know my mother, father, and step-father, but I've never met your parents. I barely know anything about them."

"There isn't much to tell. My dad's a lawyer, my mum was a nurse, but she had to give it up when her problems got to be too much. She has always claimed she chose to stay at home, as my brother, sister and I were in school, but when I got older I knew she would prefer to still be at work."

"Do you think she misses it?"

"I know she does. If it was up to her, she would go back to it in a second, but she's not up to it."

"Does she know about me?"

Jones' eyes fall to his feet.

"She knows that you're a girl who's a friend, but I've never told her that we're dating. I'm not sure how she'd react to the news, so I have never told her."

"And you don't want us to meet?" she asks, a little annoyed at being kept a secret like this.

Jones drops the ball and moves to Lux, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"It's not like that. I would love to introduce you to my family, but I don't want to upset anyone. You in particular, Lux. You have no idea what you'd be stepping into if you met my family. And, to be honest, I don't know what would be waiting for you."

"There's one way to find out?" she smiles warmly. She can understand how difficult the situation is for Jones, but she wants to get to know his family, especially if the two of them become even more serious than they are now.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asks, the concern all over his face.

"Yes, I'm sure. Please?"

"All right, we'll give it a go. I'll check with my parents for a date. But please, don't expect much."

Lux smiles.

"Thank you. And don't worry, it'll be great. I know it will," she answers.


	29. Chapter 29

The next few weeks are fairly quiet for everyone. Alice and Math enjoy another couple of dates. Lux and Jones are splitting their time between organising everything for Tasha's return to studying. They have decided to wait until the end of their exams before introducing Lux to his family. She has the feeling he's putting it off, but she has to admit that she has a lot of her mind at the moment, so it's probably a good idea.

The main event that happens is Matthew's Naming Ceremony. It was a lovely occasion, and Cate and Lux got to see just how close Ryan and Matthew are. Cate also witnesses how close he and Julia have become. She knows there is nothing going on between them, but she still feels a little uneasy watching her husband being so friendly with his ex.

Cate, Ryan, Jones and Lux drive over to the juvenile detention centre to pick up Tasha. Lux is practically vibrating she's so happy.

"So is Baze finishing up the last few preparations for the party tonight?" asks Ryan.

"Yeah. Everything is pretty much done, he's just waiting for the soda delivery this morning."

"Does Tasha know about the party?" asks Cate. She hates to think of the poor girl being side swiped by it all.

"Oh yeah, she knows. I told her about it the last time I talked to her. She's really excited for it. She's never been the star of her own party before," replies Lux sadly.

"She never had a birthday party when she was a kid?"

"No. She was lucky if her mother remembered her birthday. We had a few parties for her, but it wasn't the same."

Jones smiles at his girlfriend. He knows that the 'we' she's speaking about is her and Bug, but he doesn't want to go into it.

"It's going to be brilliant to have her back!" he grins.

Lux paces the waiting room. She has never been known for her patience, but today it's even worse. She looks at the main door every three seconds, huffing and puffing each time as the door remains closed.

"What's keeping them?"

"Maybe she has to pack?" asks Ryan.

"No, she'll have been packed for days. Come on will you!" she says loudly.

The door shakes open. Tasha bounds out of the room, dashing up to Lux.

"I'm free!" she says excitedly. They throw their arms around one another, unwilling their happiness to see one another again. Even though they saw each other a few short weeks ago, it isn't the same.

"Come on. We're going to get you settled at home, and then there's the party tonight. Everyone is looking forward to seeing you again," says Cate, leading the two young women to the door.

Tasha looks around her apartment, her face breaking into a massive smile at everything she sees. It feels like an eternity since she was here.

"We wanted the apartment to be perfect for your return. The place has been cleaned from top to bottom, and the fridge and cupboards and loaded up with your favourite foods. I hope you like it," beams Cate. She's very proud of how it all turned out. She can't help feeling very maternal towards Tasha. Granted, she is a lovely young woman, but there's more to it than that. She has been the one friend Lux could always count on throughout her life. Who knows what could have happened if she hadn't hit Lux's ex-foster father when she did. For that, she will always be eternally grateful.

"Thank you guys," she says, throwing her arms around Cate and Ryan.

"You're very welcome. I think we'll go and give you the chance to unpack and relax. Lux, Jones, come on. Let's give her some peace," she says, practically dragging her daughter away. "Come on, you'll see her again in a few hours. Tasha, we'll pick you up at about six, all right?" she says. Tasha nods happily.

When she's alone, she throws herself on her blue and purple bedding. She can't take her eyes off her things. Her possessions aren't fancy, or expensive, but they make her happy. The majority of them carry happy memories. She still has the little sweater she wore when she first moved to Sunnyvale. That was far from a happy time for her, but it also represents her first meeting with Lux.

She looks over at the ticket stub stuck into the mirror on her closet door. It's the ticket stub from the concert that K100 had organised, featuring Ben Lee and Hayley James Scott. It was a fantastic day, and she would never forget it, even if she did get into a fight with Lux. She remembers standing at the front of the stage, singing with her hands in the air with Lux's auntie Paige. Good times.

She glances over at the clock. She's getting picked up in just over an hour. She dashes from her bed and looks through her wardrobe, trying to pick something to wear.

Tasha eventually picks a pair of her favourite skinny jeans and a plain white t-shirt. Lux is a little late picking her up. She was getting worried that she had been forgotten about.

"Sorry we're late, but Cate was baking cupcakes, and she got a little carried away with the icing and decoration. Hope they taste as good as they look."

"Cate is baking? Is this a good thing, or should I avoid them at all costs?"

"No, actually her cooking is improving. I think she's sneakily watching Nigella Lawson when she gets up," laughs Lux. "Come on, we better go. Cate and Ryan are waiting for us downstairs."

The party is just starting when they arrive. Baze and Lux have decorated the loft with balloons which say 'Welcome Home'. When Tasha walks into the loft, she has to fight back tears. She can't believe that they have gone to so much trouble for her. Lux is standing beside her. She puts her arm around her waist, gently squeezing her.

"Are you all right?" she asks.

"Yeah, I just can't believe everyone went to so much trouble," says Tasha, looking at each detail in turn.

"Hey, you're worth it!" grins Lux, swooshing her hair.

Tasha fights the urge to make fun of that comment, but she's too enraptured with everything and everyone. She smiles as Ryan and Cate raise their glasses to her, Jones is grinning at her, and Math and Alice are standing in the kitchen, chatting away. She makes a mental note to ask about that, as she doesn't recognise her.

"All right, before the party really gets going, I have to make a speech," begins Baze. Always the host. "Tasha, we are glad to have you back. You're a part of this insane family, and we wanted to celebrate your return in the only way we know how, and that's to party. Food is cooking outside, drinks are in ice buckets, and everyone, have a great time. To Tasha!" he says, raising his glass. Everyone does the same.

"To Tasha!"

People quickly scatter around the loft. Some people head outside to get something to eat, while others stay inside to enjoy some chat and drinks. Music is blasting outside, and so it's much easier to have conversations inside. Baze is in and out of the party. The bar is pretty busy, and so he's keeping a close eye on the situation to check if Jamie needs some help.

Tasha is feeling a little overwhelmed by it all. She sits on the couch, just watching everyone milling around. Cate and Ryan are standing at the far side of the loft, deep in conversation. Math and Alice are standing at the barbecue outside, and Jones is chatting with Lux in the kitchen. She watches as Lux reaches into her pocket, lifts out her phone and glares at the screen for a few moments before putting it back into her pocket, a look of intense trepidation on her face. She raises her eyes to look over at Tasha, smiling and coming over to her.

"Are you having a good time?" she asks, crashing down on the couch beside her.

"Yeah, I am, it's just a little overwhelming. I'm not really sure what to do with myself. It's strange what being locked away can do for a person," she says quietly. "Who was calling you just now? You didn't look very happy about the call?"

Lux's eyes fall to the ground.

"No one important. Do you want some food, or something to drink?" she offers.

"No, I'm fine. Who's the woman with Math? I thought he was always single."

"I'm not sure what's going on with them. They've been on a few dates, but I don't think they're actually dating."

"Who is she?"

"She's Alice, Cate and Ryan's boss at the radio station."

"Oh, right. They are really cute together."

Lux looks closely at the two of them, really for the first time. She has never noticed it before, but they are sweet together.

"Yeah, they are actually. Hope they can work it out."


	30. Chapter 30

Cate and Ryan are chatting, enjoying some wine.

"Has Julia recovered from the Naming Ceremony?" asks Cate, taking a long sip from her glass of wine.

Ryan lets out a little laugh. His mind runs over all the preparations they made, and all the last minute arrangements. He thought planning a wedding was stressful. They had arranged for little cupcakes for the guests, but the person who was making them reneged at the last minute and so he and Julia had to frantically find someone else.

"Yeah, I think so. She said to tell you and Lux thank you for showing up. She loved seeing the two of you."

"We were talking about her coming over for dinner one weekend, sometime after Lux's exams."

"Sounds great. Did she tell you that she's going away on vacation with her parents in a couple of days?"

"No, she didn't. Is she bringing Matthew with her?"

"Yeah, she is," he says, clearly not happy with the arrangement.

"Well, that's a good thing isn't it? It'll give her a bit of a break, and the baby can see some new scenery."

"I agree with that part, but she's going to be away for two weeks. I've never been away for him for that long."

Cate gives her husband a hug. She knows how close he is with the baby, and how stressful this will be, but she can only think of the good aspects.

"I know, but it's only fourteen days. Think of how good it will be for the two of them. And for you as well. The two of us will have two weeks of alone time. Maybe we could ask Baze if Lux could stay with him for a bit of it," she smiles slyly.

A massive smile spreads over Ryan's face. "Oh I do like the way you think," he replies, leaning down to kiss her. "Do you think Baze would mind?"

"No, of course not. He's always happy to spend time with his daughter. And Lux will be more than happy. She loves being with Baze. Plus the loft is closer to school and Tasha's apartment, so it'll be more convenient for her."

Ryan looks past her, eager to get his ok, but Baze isn't here. He must be downstairs giving Jamie a hand. "All right, we'll speak with him later. Do you want to get something to eat? I'm starving." When his wife nods in reply, he takes her hand and escorts her outside.

"Those two seem happy? They weren't on very good terms when I left," says Tasha, nodding her head towards Ryan and Cate.

"Yeah, they're doing well. Things were difficult for a while, especially when they found out about Matthew, but they've worked through it, and now they're stronger than ever. Cate has even spent time with Julia and the baby. We were at his Naming Ceremony recently, and the two of them got on like a house on fire."

"And she's really ok with the whole situation? I don't think I'd cope very well with it."

Lux looks over at her friend incredulously.

"Why wouldn't she be? She knows that Ryan cares about Julia, but only because she's the mother of their baby. He loves Cate."

"Good to hear," she replies, although she's clearly a little dubious about the whole thing. "So what else has been going on? What have I missed?" she asks, settling down on the couch, ready to hear all the gossip.

Lux fills her in on all the happenings, stopping every so often to look at her phone. She's in the midst of telling her about their school, Westmonte, when her phone vibrates again. When she lifts it out of her pocket to check on it, Tasha whips the phone from her hands, glaring at the screen for answers. What she sees stuns her.

"Bug is calling you?" she asks, letting Lux grab her phone from her hand.

"Yes. He called me a few weeks ago, and I told him to leave me alone."

"And did he?" she asks incredulously. She knows Bug well, and he usually doesn't give up easily when he really wants something.

"He did until today."

"What does he want?"

"Me," she says, almost in a whisper. She looks over at Jones, who is chatting with Cate outside. Tasha follows her friends eyes.

"Does Jones know about this?"

"I told him when he first started calling, but you're the only person who knows about these new calls. Tasha, what am I going to do? Cate said she would call the police if he called me again. I don't want that to happen, but he needs to stay away from me."

"I think we need to take this into our own hands. Send him a text and tell him you'll meet him for lunch tomorrow. We'll go to that little café we always used to hang out in. Don't worry, we'll get this worked out," she smiles, giving her friend a hug.

Lux turns her head to smile over at Jones, who is watching her happily. She really hopes they can make this work, and make Bug realise that they have no future.

The next morning, Tasha is settling down to breakfast when there is a loud knock at her door. She knows who is behind the door without even opening it.

"Morning Lux. Have you heard back from Bug?"

"Yeah. He'll meet us at the café at noon. I'm so nervous," she says, pacing the room. "He's already been told that I don't want to be with him again. Why doesn't he understand that?" she asks.

"Are you really surprised? You know Bug better than I do, Lux. When he wants something, or someone, he does all he can to get it. Have you forgotten the way he was when we first met him?"

Lux's mind goes back to that day when she was fourteen. It was her birthday, and she and Tasha were pulling their favourite trick of pretending to be wedding guests at a reception, enjoying the food and drinks provided by the party. They were just leaving when Lux spotted a beautiful skin tight pair of jeans in a store. Tasha decided this would be a perfect present for her, and went in to get it, closely followed by Lux. While Tasha was making her move, Lux's eyes fell onto the young man who was pulling the same trick with a t-shirt. He looked up, noticing that she was watching him. He grinned at her, tucked the t-shirt in his bag and walked out in front of her. Tasha has already left the store, so Lux heads out after her.

They dash down the street, giggling and laughing at their actions. Entering the next street, they find Bug propping up the wall, waiting for them. Now that she is looking at him up close, she has to admit that he's very attractive. Not the tallest person, but he has a real aura to him. Dangerous, but protective. That was the type of person she was attracted to at the time, and she was more than intrigued by this man. She fights it initially, not interested in having a boyfriend. She had enough issues in her life, what with school, and changing foster families every few months. But Bug managed to worm his way into her affections. That was the beginning of it all. They started hanging out, and were dating in no time. Even though they had their ups and down, both of which were filled with drama, they stuck together. That all changed when Lux was placed in the care of Cate and Baze.

"I remember, but I hoped he might have changed."

"I don't think he'll do that somehow. We need to make him realise that he's not going to get what he wants. Come on, try to eat something, and then we can head over to the café," she says, moving the plate of toast forward, insisting that Lux take a slice.


	31. Chapter 31

Jones rings Lux, a little concerned when she doesn't pick up the phone. She always has her phone with her, and so it's a little unusual for her not to answer. He teases her that she'll probably take her phone to the grave with her. Lux can only nod in agreement. Sounds like a good plan to her.

He decides to call Cate, just to make sure that his girlfriend is all right.

"She's with Tasha at her place. I think we'll both be fighting for time with Lux over the next few weeks," laughs Cate. She doesn't really mind losing time with her daughter. She likes Tasha, and is glad that they are so close. But she suspects Jones doesn't feel the same.

"Ok, thanks. I think I might go over and see how Tasha is settling back in," he says. "Is there anything you want me to tell Lux?"

"Yeah, ask her to ring me and let me know if she's going to be home for dinner."

Lux and Tasha find themselves a spot by the window of the café. Lux feels as though she were sitting on hot coals. She can't sit still; she looks at everyone who comes into the café, glances at everyone who walks past, and even the people who walk along the far side of the road.

"Lux, relax," says Tasha, leaning forward to put her hand over her friends, trying desperately to calm her down.

The door opens, and Bug enters the café. He looks around the room, and when his eyes land on Lux, a massive grin pops onto his face. He dashes up to the table, only then noticing Tasha's presence.

"Oh, hi. I thought it was just going to be the two of us?" he asks, taking a hesitant seat beside them.

"No, we thought it would be better if we spoke to you together. That way, you know that we're not fooling around," says Tasha strongly. Years bouncing from foster home to foster home tends to toughen a person up, and Tasha is tougher than most.

He looks over at Lux, silently asking her an explanation.

"I'm sorry to do it this way Bug, but I didn't know what else I could do. I've already told you that I don't want to see you again, but you still ring me again."

He leans forward suddenly, reaching out as though he were going to put his hand on Lux's face. Her immediate reaction is to move back and slap his hand away. He looks at her with a horrified look.

"What was that for?"

"Bug, I've had enough. Leave me alone. I don't want to be with you anymore."

"Because of you and Jones, right?"

She glares at him.

"How do you know about Jones?"

"Because I've been keeping an eye on you. I never thought you'd end up with that loser," he answers disgust all over his voice.

Lux looks over at Tasha, who is as stunned as she is. Neither of them recognise this man is anymore. Whatever he has been through since he left Portland has turned him into a total control freak. Granted, he was always very protective, but this is above and beyond.

"You've been stalking me?"

"I'm not stalking you, I'm just concerned about you. I wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't want to make sure you were all right, now would I?" he says, pleased as punch at his actions.

"You don't see anything wrong with what you're doing, do you? Stay out of my life Bug, or I'm going to the police. This is your last warning!"

She stands to leave when Bug grabs her hand again, pulling her back down to her chair. He keeps a hold of her hand as he speaks.

"Lux, I don't want to lose you, please," he says softly. For a split second, she remembers the man he was when they first met: determined and strong, but one of the best and most important people in her life. But now, that's changed, and she just doesn't trust him anymore.

She opens her mouth to speak, but something outside catches her eye. Jones is standing at the window, glaring at her. She can see the pain and distress on his face. She climbs to her feet and dashes out of the café.

"Stay away from her Bug, or things won't go well with you," says Tasha in her most intimidating voice. She's not the type of woman you want to mess with. Protective to a fault, she won't be messed with. And no one upsets her friends, not even someone she once considered one of her closest friends. She heads outside, but Lux and Jones have both vanished.

Lux manages to catch up with Jones a few blocks away from the café.

"Jones, please, let me explain?" she pleads, grabbing his arm to stop him.

"Why did you do this?" he asks angrily. She has never seen Jones this mad and upset before, and it's worrying her. "You promised that you and Bug were through. You swore to me that it was over, and now this. And even Tasha knew that you were cheating on me behind my back. How could you?" he asks, snapping his hand back.

"Jones, I understand that you're upset, but please let me explain. It's not what you think," she answers, begging.

"I don't want to hear it Lux. Just leave me alone!" he says, storming off.

"Jones!" she shouts after him, but he doesn't stop.

Lux makes her way back to Tasha's apartment. The tears are falling down her cheeks when Tasha opens the door to her. She falls into her friends arms, the sobs consuming her.

"I don't understand, how did this happen?"

"Did you explain to Jones that it was all innocent?"

"It tried to, but he wouldn't listen to me. He's too angry to take it in."

They crash down on the couch. Tasha takes a tissue from the box on the table and dabs her friends wet cheeks.

"Maybe he needs a bit of time? Give him some time. Maybe try to speak to him tomorrow. He'll hopefully be more ready to listen to you then."

"No, I can't leave it like this, Tasha. You didn't see the look on his face. He was so hurt. He really thinks I was seeing Bug behind his back."

"Lux he's not going to listen to you right now. He needs time to think," replies Tasha, forcing a comforting smile onto her face. She hates seeing her best friend in so much distress.

Lux can't control the tears from falling. She's heartbroken at everything that has happened. Not only is her ex-boyfriend following her, but her current boyfriend, the man she truly loves, thinks that she's gone behind his back to cheat on her. She can't see a way out of this nightmare right now.


	32. Chapter 32

Lux crashes through the front door. Cate is sitting in the living room, reading a book. When she sees her daughter, and her tear soaked face, she dashes to her daughters' side.

"Lux, what's happened?" she asks as her daughter falls into her arms, grief consuming her.

She fills her mother in on everything that has transpired over the past few hours. Cate listens intently to everything, her emotions running up and down with each stage. By the end of it, she's ready to punch people.

"Why didn't you tell me that Bug was calling you again?" her eyes bulging with anger.

"I was going to tell you, but then I talked it over with Tasha, and I thought we could work it out ourselves. I didn't expect it to turn into a nightmare."

"Well first thing tomorrow we're going to the police to report Bug, and get a restraining order against him. I am done playing nice with him," she answers strongly.

Lux nods her head slowly. She hates that it's come to this, but she knows there isn't anything else she can do. He has pushed this situation so far, and now it has to end.

"How did you leave it with Jones?"

"He doesn't want to talk to me. I wanted to call him after we got back, but Tasha said he needs a bit of breathing space."

"She's probably right. Hopefully he'll realise there's another side to the story. Are you going to see him tomorrow?"

"Yeah, well we had already arranged to meet up for a study breakfast. I'm going to show up, and see if he makes it," she answers, mentally crossing her fingers and toes.

Cate leans forward and kisses her daughter gently on the forehead.

"Don't worry, it'll all work out. Jones loves you, and he knows that you love him."

"You didn't see the look on his face Cate. He was so hurt."

Cate hates this. There's nothing she can do to make this any better. She just hopes that things work out all right in the morning."

"Have you eaten? I was going to order a pizza, if you're interested?"

"No thanks, I'm not hungry. I think I'm just going to go to bed, I'm exhausted."

"All right, see you in the morning," she says, watching as her daughter ascends into her bedroom.

The next morning, and a very nervous Lux is sitting at the kitchen table, sorting through her book bag. Ryan comes into the room.

"Morning. Did you have a good sleep?" he asks, patting his step-daughter on the shoulders before heading to the coffee pot.

"No. I barely slept a wink. I just couldn't switch my brain off. Too many things running through it."

"Yeah, Cate told me what happened when I got home. I'm so sorry. Have you heard anything from Jones?"

"No, he hasn't called or sent a text. I'm just going to go to our usual place and hope for the best. I'll see him at school anyways."

Ryan opens his mouth to ask 'what are you going to do if he doesn't show up?', but he changes his mind. She's already got a stomach of tight knots; she doesn't need him being extra doom and gloom.

"Well best of luck with it. Do you have any exams today?"

"Yeah, the first one is this afternoon, but I feel totally unprepared for it. I've been studying like a mad thing, but with everything that's happening with Jones, I just don't know how I'm going to do it."

Ryan leans forward and kisses her on the forehead.

"You'll be fine. Hopefully the two of you can work everything out before getting to school."

Lux smiles at her step-father. She really hopes he's right.

Before the show, Cate puts in a call to the local police station. She's told that there isn't much they can do as Bug hasn't made any threats, but they will take a note of the complaint, and ask her to keep them up to date on what happens. That's not what she wanted to hear, but she feels a little easier knowing the authorities are aware of the situation.

Baze is in the midst of his show co-hosting with Cate and Ryan, and loving every moment of it. The first time they did a show together, he and the couple weren't in the best place, and he just wanted to mess with Cate. Now, things are in a great place between them all, and he's here to have a good time and make people laugh. But he still can't resist poking a little bit of fun at Cate by reminding the viewers what a sad sack she was in high school.

At the end of the show, the three of them meet up for some coffee.

"How do you think it went?" asks Baze. For all his messing, he respects these two, and doesn't want to do anything to disrupt their careers.

"I think it went well. I was watching Alice in the booth, and she was smiling throughout the show," answers Cate.

"I wonder if Trina likes it too?" he asks. He and Trina got close a couple of months ago, but he knows she would sack him in a second if his co-hosting wasn't going well.

"I don't think Trina likes anything," replies Cate. She and her boss have had some big run-ins, and she will never be a fan, but she has to give her enough respect considering she is her boss. But she will never like her.

"I'm sure we'll hear soon enough. Have you spoken with Alice about Math?" he comments, hoping to change the subject to something more cheery.

Cate and Ryan look at one another nervously. How do they approach this?

"Um, yeah we did. How did it go for Math?" she asks, skirting around the situation a little.

Baze laughs.

"He's in love already."

Cate doesn't know what to say. That is exactly what she had wanted to hear, but considering how Alice feels about it, it's far from ideal.

Baze can't help but notice the anxious looks on their faces.

"Why do I have the feeling there is more to this than meets the eye? Is Alice not interested in Math or something?" he asks, not seriously considering the option. When he sees the looks of admission on the faces of Cate and Ryan, he has to accept it.

"She's not interested in Math, is she?"

"It's not that she's not interested, she just got the sense that he is a lot more serious about her than she is for him. She likes him, and she wants to see what comes of it, but I think she's looking to be his friend, and that's it.

"Math is going to be devastated."

"Not necessarily. "

The two guys look up at Cate with equal measures of concern and intrigue.

"What does that mean?" asks Ryan.

"We all know that these two are perfect for one another. Math is very aware of it, the only person who has to catch up is Alice. I think we have to do something to make him more enticing to her."

"Like?" asks Baze. He's not sure he likes where this is going.

"I don't mean we're going to change him, I mean we have to see what we can do to make him more attractive to her. You know, make her see his good side rather than his geeky side."

Baze lets out a laugh.

"That's the reason she gave? He's a geek. Anyone would think she'd never met him before."

"I think she knew, she just didn't realise to what extent. She said he told her that he has light sabres in his bedroom?"

"Yeah, they are needed for security," says Baze, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

Ryan and his geek tendencies stifle a laugh, while Cate just shakes her head and smiles. What in the world did she do to deserve these two?


	33. Chapter 33

Lux sits at the table, nursing her mug of coffee. She has a croissant in front of her, but she's feeling too anxious to eat it. She keeps her eyes glued to the door, keeping everything crossed that Jones walks through the door, a smile on his face, begging her for forgiveness for not accepting her word and thinking the worst of the situation.

An hour and a half later, and she is still sitting alone. Her heart falls to her feet at having to accept that he's not coming. She's also going to be late for school. She hastily grabs her things and heads out the door, practically sprinting to school.

Tasha is standing at the door waiting for her.

"I thought you'd be in class," asks Lux, looking at the clock on her phone. She got there with two minutes to spare.

"I couldn't go to class until I knew what was happening. Where's Jones?"

Lux just shrugs her shoulders, unable to vocalise the fact that she has no idea where he is. Tasha gives her friend a hug.

"I'm sorry. Maybe he just needs a bit more time."

"Perhaps. Have you seen him around school?"

"No, not yet. Maybe he's gone to class already? Come on," she says, linking their arms and escorting her inside.

Lux looks down every hallway and through the window of every classroom, desperately trying to find Jones, but he's nowhere in sight. She has a flashback of doing this when Eric still worked at the school. They would always try to steal a few moments together while in school, and they would look for places where they could be alone. She shakes her head at the thoughts. There will always be a part of her that loves Eric. He taught her a lot, and made her grow up in many ways, but she now accepts that a student dating a teacher is wrong.

They get to class, but he isn't there. Lux crashes down on a chair beside Tasha. She wishes she could just leave, but just as she thinks it, the teacher comes into the room.

"All right everyone, open your books at page 57," says the teacher. Lux looks over at Tasha, who smiles sadly at her. Maybe this day will go by quickly?

Cate has the house to herself for the afternoon, and she intends to enjoy every moment of it. Lux is in school for another few hours, and Ryan is over at Julia's visiting Matthew. He had been anxious about heading over, knowing that her parents would be there. Cate tried to be as reassuring as she could, but she couldn't really understand their attitude. He promised he would be home for dinner, so she would find out how it went then.

Cate is enjoying a long hot soak in the bath, listening to some calming music while scented candles light the room. She lies back in the bath and closes her eyes, feeling the most relaxed she has been in months.

There's a knock at the front door. She opens her eyes slowly. Neither Ryan nor Lux would knock the door, and the knock is too sedate to be Baze. After a few moments of silence, she closes her eyes again, safe in the thought that whoever it was has given up and left.

The door knocks again. Swearing under her breath, she climbs out of the bath and throws her robe on before heading out to the door. She flings it open, finding a wretched looking Jones standing in front of her.

"Jones, what's going on? Why aren't you in school?" she asks, her motherly tendencies coming to the forefront.

"Sorry Mrs Thomas, I didn't mean to disturb you. I just didn't know where else to go."

"Come on in," she smiles.

As he settles himself on the couch she quickly puts the coffee on.

"Is everything all right, Jones? You don't look like yourself."

"Mrs Thomas, everything is far from all right. Did Lux tell you what happened? About her date with Bug?" he says, almost spitting out Bug's name.

"Yeah, she did. And please, call me Cate. It's not what you think you know. She wasn't on a date with Bug. She was warning him off. And she wasn't alone, Tasha was with her."

"I didn't see Tasha," he says, although it doesn't improve his mood.

"She was there. They wanted to confront Bug and tell him to stay away from Lux. She told you that he has been calling her, wanting them to start dating again, hasn't she?"

"She told me, but she said it had been sorted."

"We all thought it had been, but Bug had other ideas. I've reported it to the police, not that it did me a lot of good."

"Why not?"

"Because he hasn't threatened her, so there's nothing they can do. Hopefully he's got the message now, but I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Jones takes this news on board.

"I understand that, but she still lied to me."

"Jones she didn't do it to hurt you. I didn't know about it either. She and Tasha thought they could work it out on their own."

"Do you think it's all right that she lied to both of us?"

"No, Jones I'll never excuse her for that. She realises what a mistake it was, but she thought she was doing the best thing. She didn't want to worry or upset either of us."

Cate can see this isn't really improving things.

"Jones, I understand how difficult this all is, but please promise me that you'll talk to Lux."

He slowly nods his head, but she can't help suspecting that he won't follow through.

Baze is at the bar, putting away the drink order. Math comes through the door, bursting with happiness.

"What's going on?" asks Baze, keeping his focus on the beer bottles in his hand.

"I called Alice. She's going to meet me for lunch tomorrow. Isn't that fantastic?" he says, unable to wipe the smile from his face.

"That's great," he replies, unable to hide his unease. Math is so elated that he doesn't pick up on it. Baze turns to watch his friend dash up the stairs. He stands still for a few moments, a bottle of beer in his hand. Should he tell Math about the situation with Alice, or should he let him continue on in ignorance?

Just then, Jamie comes into the bar.

"Hey dude. Need a hand," he replies, moving toward the bar, grabbing a bottle of beer. He takes off the lid and downs half the bottle.

"I'm sorry, but this is medicinal. I love my mother, but she drives me insane! Apparently I need to grow up and get a real job. Working in a bar is a real job, and it's the only one I want," he says, when he notices Baze glaring at him.

Baze can only smile. He understands the drama parents can throw onto their children.

"I get it, believe me. Parents can be infuriating. I really hope Lux doesn't see me like that," he says, returning to his beer unpacking.

Jamie can only laugh.

"What?"

"Baze, your daughter is a teenager. Everything you do is infuriating. There's nothing you can do about it."

He hates to admit it, but Jamie is right. He knows what he was like when he was sixteen. His parents couldn't do a thing right.

"All right, you might have a point. Um, I need to talk to you about something."

"What?" he asks, getting behind the bar and helping his boss put the beer away.

"I've found out that Alice isn't as keen on Math as he is on her. He's going out to lunch with her tomorrow. Should I warn him? I don't want him to get his hopes up."

"You don't have to worry about that!"

Their hearts sink when they find Math standing at the doorway to the loft.

"Math, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to find out like that."

"What did Alice tell you?" he asks, moving to the bar and grabbing one of the bottles of beer.

"I haven't talked to Alice about it, Cate told me."

"What did she say?"

"She said that Alice really likes you, but she suspects that you're more serious about the relationship than she is."

"So she likes me, but she doesn't want to date me?"

"Something like that, yeah. But she said that she loves spending time with you!" says Baze, putting his thumbs up to show him that this is good news.

"Yeah, fantastic. I find the perfect woman, and she just wants to be my friend. I'm a lucky guy!" he says sarcastically.

"Math, come on. She didn't say she's not attracted to you, she just isn't as far ahead as you. Give her a bit of time, and see what happens," interjects Jamie.

Math's heart rate calms down a little at his words. That makes sense, but he's still upset at the news.

"I guess you have a point, it just hurts that's all. I really thought she was into me."

"Give her a little breathing space. She just got out of a marriage. I'm sure she's still a little shell shocked by that."

He knows his friends are only trying to make things easier for him, and he appreciates it, but his heart is breaking. But he's not going to let this ruin his happiness at the lunch date with Alice.

"Do you need a hand to put the drinks away?" he asks, already helping before anyone has the chance to respond.


	34. Chapter 34

After their basketball lesson, Lux and Tasha head back to her apartment. They chat on the way.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" asks Tasha, although she can already guess the answer.

"I have to get hold of Jones. He didn't make it to any of his classes today, and that's not like him. I have to find out what's going on."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to call him, see if he picks up. If that doesn't work, then I'll have to go over to his house and try to catch him there."

"That could be awkward. You've never met his parents, have you?"

Lux hasn't told Tasha that she asked Jones to introduce her to his family, and now, there didn't seem to be a reason to do it. She might not have a boyfriend anymore.

"No, I haven't, but I don't know what else I can do," she says.

When they get to Tasha's place, Lux grabs her phone from her bag. Suddenly, Tasha grabs her phone from her hands.

"What are you doing?" asks Lux.

"Don't call him. He's obviously still mad at you. Let me phone him. He's more likely to pick up if it's me," she replies, grabbing her own phone and dialling Jones' number. She crashes down on the couch, waiting for Jones to pick up. After a dozen rings she reaches the conclusion that he doesn't want to talk to her either. She's about to hang up when she hears a voice on the other end.

"Tasha?"

"Jones. Are you all right? You weren't in school today."

"I'm all right, I just couldn't face it."

"You mean you couldn't face Lux?" she says, watching as her friend crashes down beside her, wanting to hear every word that is being spoken.

"That too. She's sitting right beside you, isn't she?"

Tasha can't help but smile. He knows her so well.

"Yeah, she is, and she really wants to talk to you. Can I put her on the phone?" she asks.

"No, I'm not ready to talk to her yet." She turns to look at her friend, sadly shaking her head. Her heart breaks at the look of intense distress on Lux's face.

"Well can she meet you somewhere? She really needs to talk to you Jones, to get this worked out. Don't you want to hear her side of things?"

"Yeah, Cate said I should listen to what she has to say as well."

Tasha is silent, letting him think it over.

"All right, tell her I'll meet her in an hour at the little café we use for our study breakfasts."

Tasha squees with pleasure.

"I'll tell her, thanks Jones," she says, grinning broadly.

"He'll meet you in an hour in that little café you like," she beams.

Lux falls into her friend's arms.

"All right. Some coffee, and then you can head over. Do you want to practice what you're going to say to him?" asks Tasha, reaching for her pot of coffee.

She's so glad Tasha is back in her life. How did she ever manage during the time she was in prison?

Cate gives the delivery man the money for the massive pizza in his hands, just as her husband walks up the little pathway to the house.

"Thanks, she says, smiling at the delivery man as he leaves. Ryan practically crashes through the front door.

"What happened?" she asks, watching as he throws his jacket onto the couch.

"It was a total disaster. Julia's parents called me every name in the book. Apparently it's men like me who are destroying the very fabric of American culture."

"What did Julia say about them?"

"She was defending me, but they wouldn't take on board anything we said. We kept telling them that we are both raising the baby. I am taking my responsibilities with Matthew and Julia seriously, and am doing everything in my power to make things easier for Julia, but they wouldn't accept it."

"By the sounds of it, they're very stuck in their ways. But maybe they'll change their minds in time. Matthew isn't very old, so there's always the chance they'll come around, right?"

Ryan looks at Cate as though she has lost her mind.

"I don't think so. When I left, Julia apologised for how they were treating me. She said that they are both very protective of her, probably because she's an only child. They only want the best for her, and having a child with a man who's married to another woman just isn't going to cut it for them."

"Well, you have to admit it isn't exactly common, but we're all making it work."

"Exactly, but they'll never change their minds. I'm the scum of the earth, and they'll never believe otherwise," he says, opening the pizza box and grabbing a slice of pepperoni.

"Where's Lux?" he says, looking around the room for her.

"She's with Tasha. She just called to say that she's meeting up with Jones, so hopefully they can work things out."

"Do you think he's going to accept her version of things?" asks Ryan.

"I really hope so. She adores Jones, and I know she would never do anything to hurt him."

"I hope so. They've very sweet together."

"Yeah, they are. He actually came to see me this afternoon," she says, grabbing a slice of pizza.

"Really? What did he have to say?"

"I think he just wanted someone to talk to about it. He's so conflicted, Ryan, it broke my heart. He knows Lux loves him, but he doesn't understand why she would have anything to do with Bug."

"I have to admit, I don't understand that one either."

"Bug is just making a nuisance of himself. He seems to think that if he makes things difficult for Lux and Jones that she'll come running back to him, but he's kidding himself. She's grown up a lot since they broke up. She doesn't want to go back to that."

"Well hopefully she can convince Jones of the truth."

Cate looks sadly at her husband. The calming and relaxing bath she had been in just a matter of hours ago seems like a lifetime ago.

Lux enters the café, smiling from ear to ear when she sees Jones sitting waiting for her in their usual spot. She orders a coffee and sits down beside him.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet me. I just wanted to talk to you about what happened when you saw Bug and I together."

"I thought I should hear the excuse you want to give for lying to me," he says angrily. She has never seen this angry and bitter side to him before, and she really doesn't like it. He seems to have already made his decision, and whatever she says isn't going to make a difference. But she still has to try.

"All right. Well, you already know that Bug had been contacting me, wanting us to get back together. I thought he was gone for good, but then he came back. I hoped that if Tasha and I could meet him, he might believe me if I had her back up."

"And did he?"

"I think so. It hasn't been long, but I haven't heard from him since, and I'm hoping it stays that way. I didn't mean to lie to you, Jones. I just thought that I could deal with it on my own."

"Did you kiss him?" he asks, his heart breaking under the mask of his anger.

"No, of course not, I wouldn't do that."

"And you expect me to believe you? You wouldn't know the truth if it slapped you, Lux," he says, his bitterness coming to the front again.

"It's the truth, Jones. I would never lie to you."

"You did, and I can't forgive you. We're through Lux," he says, climbing to his feet and heading out the door before Lux has the chance to respond.


	35. Chapter 35

Baze and Jamie are behind the bar on an insanely busy night. They haven't had a second to do anything today, and Baze is itching to get upstairs to see how Math got on with his most recent date with Alice. He was settling into their relationship, confident that they were moments away from dating. He doesn't want to say anything to his friend, but he hates knowing that he's much more serious about this than Alice.

When the bar calms down a little, and Jamie can cope on his own, Baze heads up the stairs to check on Math. He finds him sitting in front of the television, a beer in hand.

"So, how was Alice?" he asks, grabbing a beer of his own.

Math grimaces a little.

"What happened?" he asks.

"It wasn't awful, it was fun. But Alice wasn't really herself. She was quiet, and a little distance."

That's not what he wanted to hear. He had hoped that Alice had changed her mind and announced that she had fallen madly in love with Math and they would be moving in together. Hope always springs eternal.

"Maybe she just had a bad day or something?"

"Perhaps, but I think there was more to it."

"Then I think the two of you need to sit down and have a chat?" he offers.

"Yeah, I think you're right, and I'm going to do it right now," he says, putting his beer down and heading straight out, leaving Baze to watch after him in silence, hoping he's done the right thing.

Lux flies through the front door, dashing straight up the stairs to her bedroom without saying hello to Ryan, who is sitting in the living room. He goes to the bottom of the staircase.

"Lux? Are you all right?"

When there is no response, he heads up the stairs to find his step-daughter collapsed on her bed, weeping quietly.

"What happened?" he asks, sitting at the bottom of the bed, slapping her foot gently.

"Where's Cate?" she says, her head stuck into the pillow.

"She went out to get dinner. She's feeling brave again," he says. He would usually make a joke about Cate and her new found love of cooking, but this isn't the time. "What happened with Jones?"

Lux slowly turns around to face Ryan.

"He dumped me. He said that he couldn't forgive me for seeing Jones behind his back."

"I'm so sorry, Lux," he says. He has never seen her this upset before, and he hates it. Even though he understands where Jones is coming from, it's still difficult to see her going through this.

"I'm back!" shouts Cate from downstairs.

"Do you want to come down?" he asks.

"No, I'll just stay up here."

"All right. Do you want me to tell Cate what's happened?"

Lux nods her head, collapsing back onto the bed.

"I'll give you a shout when dinner is ready, all right?"

She nods.

Before descending the staircase he looks back at Lux, but she's just lying on the bed, not moving. He hates seeing her like this. It's even worse that there's nothing he can do to make it better.

"You're kidding? I knew he was mad, but I never thought he would break up with her," says Cate, quickly moving to the staircase. Ryan grabs her wrist before she gets there.

"Just leave her be. I think she needs to be on her own for a little while," he says.

She hates the idea of leaving Lux alone at a time like this, but he's right. She needs to cry herself out before she'll be able to think straight.

"Did she tell you what happened?"

"No, she didn't really get the chance to, but I don't think she was ready to talk about it. I said I'd give her a shout when dinner was ready."

Cate looks up at the little set of stairs. She really hopes her daughter is all right. Break-ups are always horrible.

Math knocks the door strongly. He has come to really like Alice since they started spending time together, and he really hopes everything is all right between them.

A sleepy Alice opens the door.

"Math? What's going on?"

He silently kicks himself. With Alice's producer job of Ryan and Cate's early morning radio show, she has to be up early. Which means, during the working week she has to go to bed early.

"I'm sorry Alice, I forgot that you'd be going to bed early. I just need to talk to you about something."

Alice rubs her eyes, not in the mood for a chat.

"Can this wait, Math? I really need to get some sleep."

"I'm sorry, but I really need to get it off my chest. I promise, I won't be long."

She sighs heavily before letting him in.

"What's all this about, Math?" she asks, slumping onto the couch.

Math waits until he is sitting in front of her before speaking. "I needed to talk to you about us," he says.

Alice's head falls into her hands.

"Come on, Math. That isn't a five minute conversation."

"What does that mean? Is there a problem?"

Alice really didn't want to go into this, especially when she's so tired, but she may as well get it over and done with.

"Are you sure you want to talk about this?"

"I think we need to discuss this. You seemed really distant at dinner tonight, and I was just a little concerned. You're not going off me, are you?" he says, nervously laughing.

Alice's eyes fall to the ground. She doesn't know how to explain this.

"All right, here goes. You're right, I was distant at dinner. I've just been worried about us."

"Worried? Why?" he says, moving closer to her.

"Math, I think we see this relationship differently, and it's been bothering me. I have the feeling that you have very strong feelings for me."

"Well, yes, I do," he smiles, not quite getting where she's coming from.

"I don't want to sound totally presumptuous here, but I have the feeling that you might be in love with me. Or pretty close to it."

A warm smile spreads over Math's sweet face.

"Is that a bad thing?" he asks, moving closer to her, putting his hand over hers.

"No, it's not a bad thing. I just don't feel the same way. I'm sorry, Math."

His smile drops. That isn't what he wanted to hear, but it certainly explains a few things. Since they started seeing one another she has held back. He thought she was just nervous, getting into the dating game again after her divorce, but it's clear now that it was a lot more than that.

"So, you don't love me then?" he says, trying desperately to fight the emotion from exploding on his voice.

"It's not that I don't love you, it's just that I'm not in love with you. I think you're an amazing man, and I love spending time with you, but I don't want to be your girlfriend. I'm really sorry, Math. I didn't mean to lie to you, but I can't help the way I feel."

It's breaking her heart to tell him these things, and she understands how painful it is for him to hear, but being honest is always the best policy.

"It's all right, I shouldn't have just assumed you felt the same. Do you still want to see me?"

Now it's Alice's turn to get closer to Math.

"Of course I do. I love spending time with you. And now that we've had this talk, perhaps I can relax a little more."

For the first time in a while, a smile spreads across his face.

"Fantastic. Well, I'll go and let you get back to sleep. Would it be all right if I called you tomorrow?" he asks.

Alice returns his smile.

"Absolutely."

Lux sits in silence at the dinner table, playing with the food on her plate. She knows her mother has gone to a lot of trouble to make the three of them dinner, but she just can't manage it.

"Lux, I'm sure you'd feel better if you ate something," says Cate quietly.

"I'm sorry, I just don't have an appetite," she says, finally relenting and putting her fork down.

"Do you mind if I just go to my room? I have some homework to do."

"Sure," she replies.

"Thanks. See you in the morning," she says, a sad smile on her face.

"She's devastated," adds Ryan, when she has vanished up to her bedroom.

"I know. I hate seeing her like this. I wonder if I should speak to Jones myself. Tell him what really happened. He listened to me before."

"No, Cate. I know how heartbreaking this is, but you can't get involved. If Lux and Jones are going to work this out, they have to do it on their own," replies Ryan. He knows she only wants the best for them, but she has to leave them to it.

"I wish there was something I could do."

"I know, but there isn't. Come on, your dinner is getting cold," he says. He doesn't have much of an appetite himself at the moment, but food is necessary. They have a busy day tomorrow.


	36. Chapter 36

The next morning, while Ryan gets them set up for the day by making breakfast, Cate goes up to Lux's bedroom to check on her. Her daughter is sitting on the bed, putting together her school books for the day.

"Good morning. How did you sleep?" asks Cate.

"I didn't," she replies, her eyes remaining on the books as she puts them into her bag.

"I'm so sorry about what happened with Jones. Will you be all right in school today?"

"I don't know, but I have to try. Exams are coming up. Maybe I can see him at school?" she thinks out loud.

"Lux, I don't think that's a good idea. Perhaps some time apart will be good for the two of you."

"How can you say that?" she asks, tossing her books onto her bed in anger. "We have a problem, and we need to work it out."

"Lux I don't think Jones is going to talk to you. He's hurt and angry. He needs time to himself to think things over."

"I think you're wrong," she says, grabbing her bag and dashing down the stairs.

She finds Ryan in the kitchen, digging into a plate full of bagels.

"Morning," he says, inviting her to take a bagel.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry," she says, taking a book from the top of the counter.

He looks behind Lux to see his wife coming down the stairs. From the look on her face, he knows the talk didn't go well.

"Did you and Cate talk about the situation with Jones?"

"Yeah, and she wants me to leave him alone, can you believe it?" she storms.

"Actually, I agree with her. From personal experience, I think Jones needs some time alone. He needs to come to terms with his anger before he's able to face you."

With everything that's been going on, she had forgotten about the past situation with Cate and Baze sleeping together behind Ryan's back. She now remembers how devastated Cate and Ryan were, and how strained things were when it all came out. Everything worked out eventually, but things were very tense for a long while.

"But don't you think you and Cate could have worked things out sooner if you'd talked things over?" she asks desperately.

"No, I don't. We both needed space to think things over," he says, putting his hand gently on her shoulder and smiling sadly at her. "Just leave him for a while. Allow him realise for himself that he wants to be with you."

She nods her head, fighting back tears. She loathes the idea of not seeing Jones, of having to avoid calling him and seeing him for lunch at school. It'll take a lot of effort and sitting on her hands to manage it, but if Ryan is right, and this is the best way to make him realise that he needs to be with her, then it'll be worth it in the end.

"All right, I'll do it. I just hope it works out as well as it did for you and Cate," she says, grabbing her bag and heading out the door, smiling at her mother as she does so.

Cate grins as she heads to her husband, reaching up to kiss him.

"What was that for?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being so fantastic with her. I don't know where we'd be without you."

At the Open Bar, Jamie watches with a massive smile on his face as Baze chats up a pretty young woman playing pool. He's relieved that his friend is finally getting back on the wagon again. He has been through a lot recently with both Cate and Emma, and it's nice to see the Baze he knew from a year ago coming back. The fact that he's a father now means he will never totally revert back to the man he was, but a little glimmer of that man appearing again is nice to see.

When he manages to drag himself away from his new lady friend, he dashes up to the bar, a massive smile on his face.

"So, who's the pretty lady?" asks Jamie.

"Her name is Jessica. She's a student from New York and she loves everything Portland has to offer."

"Especially the pretty people, right?" laughs Jamie, casting his eyes over to the young woman in question. She can't take her eyes of Baze. "I think she's smitten," he smiles.

"Yeah," grins Baze.

"Are you going to see her again?"

"I'm not sure, we haven't discussed it."

"Well, you aren't done seeing her now," smirks Jamie.

"You really do have a one track mind, don't you?"

"Yeah!" he replies, as though it's the most obvious thing in the world. He passes Baze two bottles of beer and watches as he heads back over to Jessica.

Lux heads through the doorway at school, relieved to find Tasha standing at her locker. She keeps looking at everyone around her, expecting to find people glaring at her and pointing fingers because of what happened with Jones, one of the most popular boys in school. But none of that is happening. In fact, no one is paying her any attention. She's not sure whether she should be happy or sad. Either Jones is man enough to keep their issues to himself, or he doesn't care enough about her to want to discuss it with anyone else.

"Are you all right?" asks Tasha, noticing her friend's strange observations.

"People aren't staring at me."

"Should they be?" she asks, putting her hand on her friend's chin and turning her head to the right and then to the left. "Well, you don't have any disfiguring zits, so why should people be looking at you?"

From the flush of embarrassment on Lux's face, she knows what she's thinking.

"You think Jones has gone around the entire school and told everyone that you dumped him for Bug, huh?"

Lux shrugs her shoulders.

"Come on Lux, you should know Jones better than that. He would never be that hateful and disrespectful."

"Clearly I don't know him though. I never thought he would dump me because of something so ridiculous, but he did!"

"Lux, you have to give him time. Jones is a great guy, and he'll come around."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes, I do. Just give him some breathing space, and he'll realise the truth. Don't worry," she says, closing her locker door. "Come on, we have to get to class."


	37. Chapter 37

Baze picks Lux up from school. She usually looks forward to spending some alone time with her dad, but with everything that has been happening with Jones, she's not feeling very social at the moment, and would actually prefer to go home and crash out in front of a silly movie. It doesn't help that Baze

doesn't know about the latest developments.

"Hey kiddo, how was school?" he asks, smiling as she climbs into his truck.

"School was fine," she replies, forcing a smile onto her face. She knows she isn't very convincing, but she can't help it.

"What's happened?" he asks.

Lux tells him the full story with Jones, watching as her father listens intently.

"So, where are the two of you now?" he asks.

"We're nowhere. Everyone thinks I should leave him alone and not bother him."

"And what do you think?"

"I think they're probably right, but it's just hard. I'm so used to spending a lot of time with him, it's difficult to go from that to not seeing him at all. I miss him already," she says, battling tears.

Baze moves to his daughters side, throwing his arms around her, pulling her into one of his bear hugs.

"I understand. It's really tough being so close to someone, and then suddenly, your world falls apart and you can't see them anymore. But it does get better, believe me."

Lux wipes a tear from her eye. She knows he's talking about himself and Emma, but she doesn't have the strength to question him. Right now, she's just happy in her father's arms. This is the place that always makes everything feel better.

"Lux is having dinner with Baze, so it's just the two of us. Any preferences?" asks Cate, taking a seat beside her husband at the kitchen table. His eyes are trained on the computer screen in front of him.

"What's so interesting?" she says, putting the coffee on.

"Julia has emailed me some photos from the family vacation. Look at Matthew, he looks like he's having a fantastic time," he replies, turning the laptop for Cate to see. The photos feature Julia and Matthew giggling for the camera, and playing at the beach.

"He's adorable," she says, sadly watching her husband grimace at the photos.

"I know you miss him, but the vacation is half over, isn't it? He'll be home soon."

"Yeah, and it can't happen quickly enough."

Cate goes to her husband, kissing her husband on the top of his head.

"So, I'm starved. Do you want anything in particular?" she says.

"How about something fast like pizza? I'm actually really hungry too," he replies, closing his laptop.

"Perfect. How about you order the pizza, and I'll go down to the video store and pick up a movie. We have the house to ourselves for a while, so we should enjoy the peace and quiet?" she grins.

"I do love the way you think?" he grins back

Lux, Baze, Jamie and Math are having a rollicking game of Halo. She was never a big game player, but Baze has managed to turn her head. Now, having four competitive people under one roof makes their game play more than a little interesting. And noisy.

The three guys soon regret their decision to bring Lux into their little gaming community when she totally annihilates them.

"How did you learn to be that good?" asks Jamie, looking at her with a horrified look on his face.

"Good teachers," she grins. "Plus, I'm just the best," she says, the grin getting bigger.

Jamie and Math mumble something that she can't quite work out, but she is very confident that they're swearing. They are both very competitive, and hate to lose, especially to a little girl who just learned how to play the game like five minutes before.

"Well, time for work. Math, do you want to give me a hand for a while?" asks Jamie.

The two men head downstairs, leaving Baze and Lux alone.

"So, do you want something to eat?" asks Baze, moving into the kitchen. He hadn't realised the time had gone forward so much, and now it was long past time for food.

"Yeah, that sounds great. Pizza?" she offers.

"Great minds think alike. Here, order whichever one you want for yourself. I'll just have my usual," he says, handing his daughter the telephone.

Movie night at the Cassidy/Thomas home is going down a treat. Cate had picked a funny movie for them to enjoy. She usually picks a horror movie, knowing full well that, since Ryan hates them, they always use the opportunity to snuggle under a blanket while sipping some wine. But she's not in the mood for anything scary, even though she could use a little cuddle fest.

Thankfully, Ryan is in the same mood as her. As soon as she puts the dvd on, Ryan comes out of the bedroom with a large patchwork quilt in his hands. She looks up at him, a massive smile on her face. This is one of the reasons she married him: he comes up with the best ideas. He sits down beside her, unfurls the blanket and wraps it around the two of them.

"Now this is the perfect evening," he says. Cate leans over and kisses her husband. Perhaps the nightmare of the past couple of days has come to a final end, and things are now starting to look brighter.

The next morning, Lux wakes up in her bed in Baze's loft. She can't remember getting into bed. She climbs to her feet and throws open the shower curtains that make up her bedroom wall. She finds Math standing in the kitchen, making breakfast.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I did. I didn't go home last night?"

"No. When the bar closed, I came up here to find you fast asleep on one side of the couch, and your dad unconscious on the other. You must have fallen asleep in front of some stupid movie."

She looks over at the television. Now she remembers.

"Oh that's right. We were watching some television show on surfing in Australia or something."

"Surfing in Australia?" asks Math, laughing.

"Yeah, I know, weird choice, but it was actually pretty good. Cute boys in not much clothing equals a big win," she grins.

"I'm sure your dad loved that."

"He was more interested in the beach. Turns out he spent a couple of summers hanging out at some beach."

"Those were the best summers," replies Math, his mind heading off to a very happy place. Those summers at the beach will eternally remain some of his most beloved memories. "Do you want some toast?" he asks.

"Yes please," she says, joining him in the kitchen. "So, how are things with you and Alice?" she asks, pouring herself some orange juice.

"Things are great. She's such a lovely woman, don't you think?" he asks, beaming at the mere mention of her name.

"Yeah, she's great. I'm glad things are working out between you two. You make such a cute couple."

Math considers correcting her, but he doesn't have the heart to do it. He likes that Lux thinks of them as a couple, even if it isn't strictly true. He knows he might be setting himself up for disappointment, but he has to remain hopeful about their future together. You never know what will happen in the future, and that's what he likes to remember.


	38. Chapter 38

The weekend comes around quickly enough, but it's too fast for Lux. Her weekends were usually spent with the people she loves, and Jones has always been a big part of that. Now, that wasn't an option, and she has no idea what to do with herself. She needs something to help her pass the time.

Sitting in her bedroom, she looks over at the desk. There are a stack of school books sitting there. She could always do some studying, get ahead of the game. Or she could ask Math for some extra assignments, but she knows that's not going to happen. For one thing, her brain isn't ready for a large stack of study. And, more to the point, she doesn't want to do it.

Lux heads downstairs for breakfast with Cate and Ryan.

"So, what are your plans for today, Lux? Anything exciting?" asks Ryan, sipping his coffee.

"Um, I don't know. I might go over to Tasha's for a while."

Everyone jumps when the phone rings. It's still quite early in the morning, and so a call at this time is rather unusual. Cate is closest to the phone, so she picks up.

"Hello. Oh hi Julia. Yeah, Ryan's right here, hold on," she says, handing the phone to her husband. "She sounds a bit stressed," she says, a concerned look on her face.

"Julia, is everything all right?" he says. A look of concern on his face quickly changes to horror.

"Where are you? Right, I'm on my way!" he says, hanging up quickly.

"Matthew is in the hospital, I have to go," he says, dashing into the bedroom to get dressed.

"What's happened?" asks Cate, following him in.

Lux puts her spoon down, desperately trying to hear what they are saying.

"She's not sure. He had a bit of a temperature last night, so she kept a close eye on him. This morning, it was worse, so she got him straight to the hospital."

"Do they know what's wrong?" she asks.

"No, but they are doing some tests to figure it out."

"Do you want me to come with you?" she asks. Her first instinct is to be there for her husband, but she doesn't want to make things awkward, especially not when Matthew is sick.

"Yes, please."

"Will you be all right on your own?" she asks Lux. She is already dressed, so she grabs her jacket.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll get ready and then go over to Tasha's. Will you call me when you know what's happening?"

"Of course."

Ryan emerges from the bedroom, snaps up his car keys and heads out the door, closely followed by Cate. They both shout 'bye' before closing the door behind them.

Baze is up and about early, especially for a Saturday morning. He had been working last night, but it hadn't been a late one for him. Jamie and Math had been holding the fort at the bar. Baze couldn't stop thinking about the situation with Lux and Jones. He couldn't help but feel partly responsible, as he was the one who had pushed the two of them together initially.

The door to Jamie's bedroom opens, and out comes his latest female friend, her hair in disarray, her shirt on back to front.

"Thanks for a great night, Jamie. I'll maybe see you again?" she asks.

Jamie looks over at his friend. They both know she'll never see him again.

"Yeah," he answers, very dismissively.

After she leaves, Jamie comes into the kitchen, a massive smile on his face.

"Fun night, I presume?"

"That it was. Talking about beautiful women, whatever happened between you and Jessica? I thought you were going to see her again?"

"Yeah, I'm actually seeing her tonight."

"Good to hear. So, date night, huh. That's always fun."

"Yeah," replies Baze, his mind not quite on the subject.

"What's the matter? Are you not looking forward to the date?"

"I'm just not in the mood for it right now. Lux is going through a lot, and I can't take my mind off it. I might just call Jessica and reschedule."

"No, don't do that. You need a distraction, Baze. Maybe Jessica is exactly what you need right now."

Baze looks over at his friend, who is displaying a massive, cheeky smile.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. It'll be good to take my mind off everything. I won't make it a late night though. Need to come back to the bar to make sure you and Math are getting on all right."

"Do you not trust us or something?" he says, trying to sound serious and upset, but not pulling it off.

"Of course I don't trust you," says Baze, totally deadpan. Thankfully, they both know one another well enough to know when they are joking.

"I hope Lux is all right?" asks Jamie. In the months that Lux has been in their lives he has really come to care about her, and wants onto the best for her.

"It's a long story, but she'll get through it. Just take some time," he says sadly.

Math emerges from his room, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wipe the sleep from his eyes. A smile pops onto his face as soon as he sees Jamie, knowing exactly how he spent his night, and who with.

"I'm amazed you're able to walk after last night," he laughs.

"Yeah, a good night had by all," grins Jamie.

"What are your plans for today? Seeing Alice?" asks Baze. He knows that they have worked things out and decided to stay friends.

"I think we're meeting up for lunch. She had some big meeting with her husband last night, and so she said she'd phone me to let me know if she was still all right to meet up."

"I thought they were getting divorced?" asks Baze.

"They are, but Jeff told her he has something to discuss with her. They still have some financial issues to work out, so she figures that's what he wants to talk about."

"Guess you'll find out at lunch."

"Here's hoping," he says, pouring himself a large mug of coffee, starting the day off properly.


	39. Chapter 39

Lux gets showered and dressed and heads over to Tasha's. She takes some schoolbooks with her, just in case she has the notion to get some study done, but with the situation with Jones, and the fact that Matthew has just been admitted to hospital, she doubts that will happen. Not today, anyways. She knows she has to get some work done soon, as she has more exams coming up, but she just can't get her head around it at the moment.

"Morning. I wasn't expecting you just yet," says Tasha, opening the door to her friend with a mug of coffee in her hand.

"Didn't think I'd be here this soon either, you know me and my love of the lie in. But Ryan and Cate had to go to the hospital. Julia had to take Matthew because he has a high temperature."

"Oh no. Is he all right?"

"I don't know. Cate is going to give me a ring when they know something."

"Ryan must be terrified. He seems to have really taken to fatherhood."

"Yeah, he adores Matthew. But I'm sure he'll be fine," she says, keeping all her fingers and toes crossed. Ryan having a baby with Julia might have fractured her family even more so than it was, but this new side of her family has become very important to her.

"All right, so we had better stay close by then. Want to get some study done before our exams?" she says, managing to keep a straight face. After mere seconds, they both burst into small giggles. Lux might be turning into quite a good student, but that will never be Tasha. She does enough to get by, but she will never be a perfect student.

"Ok, so how about I go out and get some bags of popcorn, and we can have a movie day. We haven't had one of these in months," smiles Tasha. This used to be one of their favourite activities when they managed to have some money in their pockets. "Do you want to pick some movies? I have a bit of a collection going over there," smiles Tasha as she puts her jacket on. Now that she has her own place, she loves nothing better than to lounge on the couch, munching on a pizza while watching some silly movie.

Their favourite movies to watch are usually horror movies, as they are both massive fans of blood and gore, but it's not one of those days.

"I hope you have some good comedies."

"Yeah, there are a few good ones there, just depends on which you prefer. Take your pick," she grins, heading out the door.

Lux has a look at Tasha's dvd collection, a little surprised to see hidden amongst the horror and comedies some Disney movies, like Aladdin and Snow White. She smiles at the thought of Tasha reliving her childhood, painting some Disney cheer onto the horrendous abandonment and rejection.

Her phone rings. She grabs for it, hitting the accept button as soon as she sees Cate's name flashing back at her.

"Cate, is Matthew all right?"

"No, he isn't. They think he has meningitis. They are running a few more tests just for safety, but that's what they believe."

Lux's heart is pounding. She hadn't considered anything serious like that, she just assumed it was a little cold or something.

"Oh no. What are they going to do?"

"Well they say it's been caught in the early stages, and it doesn't seem to be a very bad case of it, but he's going to be in hospital for a while." she asks, putting her motherly head on.

"How are Ryan and Julia? They must be frantic."

"They are both freaking out, but they are trying to be strong for Matthew."

"Send them both my love, will you?"

"Of course. Look, would you mind spending the day there with Tasha? I don't want you running all around town on your own."

"Don't worry, we're going to have a movie fest. Tasha has just gone out to get some popcorn."

"Fantastic. I should be home for dinner, but I'll let you know how everything goes, all right?" she says.

"Of course. Talk to you soon."

"Love you," she says, before hanging up the phone. Lux stares at her phone for a few moments. She can only imagine how devastated Ryan and Julia are. She really hopes they, and more importantly, Matthew, will be all right.

When Tasha comes back, Lux tells her what has happened.

"Is Matthew going to be all right?"

"I don't know. Cate said it has been caught early, so that has to be a good sign, right?"

"Definitely."

They are both silent for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts. Tasha stands up and grabs some juice from the fridge and takes a bag of popcorn.

"Right, we need to keep our minds occupied until we get more news about Matthew. Did you pick a movie?" she asks, crashing down on the couch beside her friend.

"Yeah, I had picked Snow White, but I don't think that will improve my mood right now. How about, Dude, Where's My Car?" she says, smiling.

"Perfect!"

She pops the dvd into the machine and they both crash out on opposite ends of the couch, ready for a giggle fest.

When Math hasn't heard from Alice by mid-morning, he gives her a call. It's not like her to say she's going to make a call, and then not do it.

It takes her a couple of minutes before she picks up.

"Alice, are you all right? I thought you were going to call me to arrange a lunch date?"

She doesn't speak.

"Alice? What's going on?"

"Jeff. He doesn't want to go through with the divorce. Can you believe it?"

"But, I thought he was the one who filed for divorce in the first place?"

"He was. He said he didn't love me anymore, and wanted out of the marriage. Now he's decided that he was too hasty."

"What did you say?"

"I told him I'm not interested. I might not have been happy about it at the time, but now I realise that it was the right thing. The marriage wasn't working, and it's the right thing to end it."

"So what's going to happen now?"

"He wants us to get together to discuss it."

"Are you going to?"

There's silence on the other end of the phone.

"Math, I don't know what to do. He has a way of talking me into things, and I can't risk that happening now. I've moved on, and I'm happy where I am now. I don't want to go back."

"Well, what if you had a friend there with you when you met with Jeff?" offers Math.

"Like, you?"

"Yeah, like me. I can keep an eye on things, and speak up if I think things aren't going your way. What do you think?"

"Math, it's a really sweet offer, but I don't want you getting involved with this. It isn't your concern."

"You are my concern, and whatever I can do to make this easier for you, I'll do. Please, let me do it?" he asks.

She sighs heavily, so heavily in fact that he can hear it clear as a bell on the phone.

"All right. I'll call Jeff and get him to come over to the house. Do you want to come over at around two?"

"I'll be there. See you soon."

He hangs up, wondering what this is going to be like. It's going to be strange to spend time with the soon to be ex-husband of the woman he's in love with. But, if it protects Alice from becoming involved with him again, then all the strangeness will be worth it.


	40. Chapter 40

Math heads over to Alice's place, a bundle of anxiety. He has never heard Alice sound so desperate and concerned, and it scares him. She has always been one of the most together people he knows.

When he gets to the house, Alice makes him some coffee and fills him in on the finer aspects of her marriage, and her husband's comments on his new found interest of their marriage.

"So, when is Jeff coming over?" he asks.

"He said he'll be here just after 2.30. He has some business meeting beforehand. Math, this is going to sound stupid, but I am so nervous. It's ridiculous."

Math moves to her side, wrapping his arms around her.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine. I'm here for you, so don't worry,"

She smiles warmly at him. She's so relieved that he's there with her. She doesn't know how she'll get through this without him.

The doorbell rings. Alice stands up, smoothes down her clothes and opens the door.

"Hello, darling. It's lovely to see you again. Very quaint little house you have here," says Jeff, in a very strong, commanding voice.

Math stands up, waiting for Alice and Jeff to return to the living room. When he enters the room, Jeff stops in his tracks when he lays eyes on Math.

"Who are you?" he storms.

"I'm Math, a friend of Alice's. Just here to offer her some moral support."

"Well, thanks for the offer, but I think my wife and I can handle it from here," he says.

"Actually, I think I'll stay."

Alice comes into the room, half expecting to break up a fight.

"Jeff, this is my friend, Math. I just needed a little bit of company for this meeting. I hope you don't mind?"

"Well, yes, I do mind. This is a private discussion about our marriage. We don't need any outside forces, thank you very much."

"I'm sorry about that, Jeff, but he's staying. Do you want some coffee?" she asks, trying to calm the situation.

"Yes, please. Then we can get down to business," he says, crashing down on the couch. He only stays there for a few moments until he notices something that attracts his attention on the bookcase. He moves to it, taking a photo frame into his hands, a massive smile on his face.

"Do you remember the day this was taken?" he asks, showing Alice the photo in his hand when she hands him a mug of coffee.

"Of course. This was the day we got engaged," she replies, smiling. "Such a happy day."

"Yes, it was. One of the best days of my life."

Alice is temporarily blinded by the memories of their time together. Math catches her attention, a nervous look on his face.

"Jeff, what did you want to talk about? I thought we were done with this marriage?" she says, a small dose of strength in her voice.

Jeff puts the photo frame down, and turns to his wife. He takes her hands into his, and lowers his head so that he is looking into her eyes.

"I thought so too. I went into the divorce thinking it was the best thing, but now I know that it wasn't. It was a massive mistake, Alice, and I should never have started it. I want you back Alice, and I will do whatever it takes to make that happen. Name anything, and I'll do it."

Alice doesn't know what to do, or what to think. She looks over at Math, who is smiling at her. She thinks about the times they have spent together over the past few weeks. She's been really happy with him, and has loved every dinner and lunch date they have been on. Even outside their new friendship, the world has really opened up for her. She's spending a lot more time with friends and family, doing things she never had the opportunity to do when she was married to Jeff. The only aspect she misses are her step-kids. She never realised just how much she loved them until they were out of her life.

"Um, Jeff, that's really sweet and all, but I don't want you back. I've moved on. I'm happy where I am, and I can't wait to see what the future holds," she says, grinning. She looks over at Math, whose smile is almost as wide as her own.

"So why can't I be a part of your future?" asks Jeff, unwilling to give up without a fight.

"Because you're the past. And, I'm sorry, but that's where you're going to stay. I wish you every happiness in the future, Jeff, but I'm afraid it won't involve me."

Jeff huffs, turning to glare at Math.

"And I take it this idiot is going to be in your future? What does he have that I don't?" he asks angrily, steam practically coming out of his ears. He's used to getting what he wants, and he's not prepared to give up easily.

"Jeff, I think it's time for you to go. Have a nice life," she says, walking straight to the front door.

Jeff glares at Math. "This isn't over!"

"Yes it is!" he replies, watching his every move as he heads to the door. He listens as Alice says goodbye to Jeff, closing the door tightly behind him. She practically runs back into the living room, and straight into Math's arms.

"I did it. I didn't back down. Thank you so much for standing by me through this."

"No problem, but you didn't really need me, you managed perfectly well on your own," he grins.

"I couldn't have done it without you," she says, leaning forward and kissing him quickly on the lips.

Math's eyes practically bulge out of his eyes at the kiss.

"Um, that's all right, it was nothing, really," he answers, embarrassed.

Alice smiles, a little embarrassed herself. That was their first kiss, and it wasn't quite what she was expecting.

"So, um, I think we need some more coffee. Did you get some lunch before you came out?" she asks, heading straight into the kitchen.

"Yeah, that sounds fantastic, thanks. Do you want a hand?"

"No, I'm fine."

He takes a seat on the couch, relieved that everything went well. In fact, better than well.

Movie day at Tasha's has been the perfect medicine for Lux. They have had a marathon of Ashton Kutcher, Ryan Reynolds and Bradley Cooper movies.

"Do you think we choose our movies based on totally superficial reasons?" asks Tasha.

"No, of course not. It's not our fault if these movies feature gorgeous men. It's Hollywood's fault, really," she says, throwing a handful of popcorn into her mouth in an attempt to stifle a laugh.

"Good," beams Tasha, although she knows the truth.

When Lux's phone rings she grabs her it quickly.

"Cate. How's Matthew?" she asks, not bothering with any type of salutation.

Tasha moves to her friend's side, trying to hear what's being said, but she can't make anything out.

"Thank goodness. So, what's happening now?"

She nods at her friend, a small grin on her face.

"Fantastic. So, I'll see you at home shortly? Send everyone my love," she says, hanging up.

"So, what's the news?"

"Matthew isn't out of the woods yet, but it's looking much more positive. They are going to keep him in hospital for a few days to monitor him, but it's looking good," she answers, the relief dripping off her.

Tasha throws her arms around her friend.

"I'm so glad. That's great news. Perfect ending to the day."

"That it is. I think I'm going to head home, maybe get some dinner started before Cate gets there. She doesn't think Ryan is going to make it home for dinner, but Cate will definitely need something. See you tomorrow?"

"Sure. Give me a call later on, all right?" she says, showing her friend out to the door.


	41. Chapter 41

**This is a bit of a strange chapter. I wanted to give a bit of insight into what was going through the mind of each character. I hope you like this chapter. All comments welcome. **

Math looks up at the set of light sabres hanging from his bedroom wall. He has a lovely vision of himself having a fight with Jeff. He is Luke Skywalker, while Jeff is definitely Darth Vader. The battle is hard fought, but Math/Luke is ultimately successful, with Jeff/Darth falling to his death. He lets out a laugh: he really is a geek. But at least he's a happy geek. The woman he loves is free from the man she was married to, and now she's free to be with whomever she wants. He would be lying if he stated his fingers and toes weren't crossed that he would turn out to be her ideal man, but he would just have to wait and see what happens.

Baze stares up at the ceiling. He has so many things running through his mind he doesn't know which subject to focus on. He isn't long back from a dinner date with Jessica, and it went well, but his heart just wasn't in it. He asked her out on another date, and was rather shocked when she said yes. He had assumed that his distant attitude would turn her off, but perhaps she was putting it down to first date nerves. He recalls telling her some of the drama he went through with Emma, so maybe she went into this with an open mind. She's a lovely girl, and she's leaving Portland/ soon, so he's determined to enjoy her company while she's in town.

Then, there is everything that is happening with Lux. He doesn't know what he can do for the best with the situation, or even if he should do anything. A small part of him thinks that this is her issue, and she is the one who has to deal with it. But perhaps, just perhaps, there is something he can do about it to make it better. He hates seeing his daughter this unhappy. Maybe he should do something?

Cate stares out the window from her bed. For the first time in a few days her brain is not totally caught up with Lux and her problems with Jones, although she is still concerned about it. She really hopes they can work it out, and that some time apart will be the making of them.

At the moment though, she can't stop wondering what is happening at the hospital. Matthew looked even smaller than usual in the crib they had put him in. Julia was an emotional wreck from the moment she and Ryan entered the hospital. She could barely tell them what was happening she was so overcome with emotion. Cate's heart broke for her. She can't imagine how she would react if Lux ever became seriously ill. She has tried not to think about it since she found out about it, but now she can't stop thinking about what Lux must have gone through when she was a baby with a whole in her heart. If she had not given her up for adoption, she knows she would have been living at the hospital, stressed to the max about her daughter and the outcome of the operations and the different treatments. She wishes there was something she could offer Ryan and Julia to make things easier, but there's nothing she can say. Before she left the hospital, Julia had told her that she appreciated her being there, and that her presence had helped a great deal. She couldn't help but like Julia. Regardless of what had happened between Julia and Ryan in the past, she seemed like a genuinely lovely woman, who was always going to be a part of her life. For the first time, she felt perfectly at ease with that thought.

Ryan watches Julia as she sleeps. She was in such a mess that the doctor had given her some sleeping pills to help knock her out. The doctor had offered to give Ryan some, but he had declined. He knew that Matthew was doing a lot better, and was in all likelihood going to make a full recovery, but he still wanted to be drug free, just in case something happened and a parent was needed.

From his point of view, it was more important for Julia to get some sleep. He could manage on less sleep than her. With his job as a radio show host, he was used to hosting events until late into the night, and then being up bright and early the next morning to host the show. Granted, his emotions were raw at the moment, but he seemed to be coping a lot better than he thought he ever would in a situation like this.

As he looked on Julia's sleeping form, a massive smile spreads across his face. He casts his mind back to when they were still a couple. One of his favourite early morning activities was to watch her sleep. Just before he had to get up for work, he would always turn over and watch her for a few moments. He doesn't think she ever knew he did it, but it always started his morning off well. Now that he was doing it again, those feelings whooshed back to him. He had been thinking a lot of their time together over the past couple of days. The smile remains on his face as he closes his eyes, allowing himself to fall into a peaceful slumber.

Alice twisted and turned, desperately trying to fall asleep, but it just wasn't happening for her. She had spent the evening yawning her head off, so much so that Math actually said he was heading home to allow her to get to bed. Now that she was actually in bed, she seemed to have achieved her second wind, and couldn't for the life of her fall asleep. She eventually gave up, instead turning to watch the movements of the second hand on her beside clock. There was a little 'tick, tock' emanating from the clock as well, which was soothing her.

She remembered the confrontation that had happened only hours ago between herself and Jeff. He had been so strong and adamant that they should give their relationship another go. She was so proud of herself for sticking to her guns and saying no. She wouldn't have had the strength mere weeks ago to be so strong with him. He always had a way of swaying her opinion on anything and everything, but now that she had enjoyed some time on her own, she was enjoying a new sense of empowerment, and she wasn't going to let anything, or anyone drag her down again. She knows that many people had the impression of her being a real independent, strong, go getter type of woman, but nothing could be further from the truth during her marriage to Jeff. She was very much under her husband's thumb. Now, she was free, and she wasn't taking a step back. Not for anyone.

She also marvels at how protective Math was towards her. She wasn't used to a man being so supportive towards her, and she had to admit, she liked it. Her opinion of Math had just gone up by a thousand per cent.

Lux called Tasha to let her know what was happening.

"Everyone is fine. Matthew will be in hospital for a while yet, but it looks like he's going to be fine."

"Oh thank goodness. I'm sure everyone is relieved."

"Yeah. Cate certainly is. I haven't spoken to Ryan yet. I tried to call him on his cell, but since he's in the hospital he probably has it switched off."

"Probably. Well, I need some sleep. I'll give you a ring in the morning and we can figure out what we want to do for the day. I assume Cate will be heading back to the hospital?"

"She didn't say, but I would guess so. She wants to do everything she can to support Ryan."

"Cool. Talk in the morning. Night."

"Night," she says, hanging up. She puts her phone on her bedside table, happy that Tasha is settling back into life outside prison.

She switches out the light and turns over in bed, intent on getting a good night's sleep. It's been a long day. But sleep is not her friend tonight. Now she knows that everything is all right with Matthew, her mind reels back to Jones. She hates not being able to see him. She should be calling him with the news right after calling Tasha. That was always the way it went, and now everything was different. She has always hated change, and this is one of the worse cases. There is still a large part of her that believes she should contact Jones, and beg him to meet her again so that she can tell him everything that happened. But she accepts what everyone is telling her. He needs space, and time on his own to evaluate everything in his own time.

She hits the pillow, silently willing him to get a move on. Realise that she's the woman for him already, and then they can put an end to this, and get themselves back on track.


	42. Chapter 42

Lux is up and about early. Looking out the front window, she knows Ryan didn't make it back home as his car isn't there. She decides to make some breakfast for her and Cate. After putting the coffee on she pops some bread into the toaster.

After a few minutes, Cate emerges from her bedroom, still wearing the clothes she had on the night before.

"You fell asleep in your clothes?" asks Lux, a smile on her face at the crumpled clothes.

Cate looks down at her clothes, noticing for the first time that she's not in her pyjamas.

"Yeah, I guess so. Must have been more exhausted than I realised," she says, making her way straight to the coffee pot.

"Cate, how's everyone doing?" she asks as her mother sits herself at the little kitchen bar, facing her daughter as she keeps an eye on the bread in the toaster.

"Matthew is in intensive care so they can keep a close eye on him, but it's looking quite positive. Ryan and Julia don't know if they're coming or going, but they are both coping well. I don't think they'll be able to settle and relax until Matthew is home."

"That's fantastic. Everyone must be so relieved."

"Yeah. Matthew isn't out of the woods yet so they are still concerned, but feeling a lot more optimistic."

"Ryan didn't make it home?"

"No, he said he would stay at the hospital with Julia."

"He probably doesn't want to leave Matthew until he knows he's definitely all right."

"True. Have you been all right on your own?" she asks, getting a slight second wind back with each sip of coffee.

"Yeah, I've been fine. Tasha and I spent the day watching cute boys in funny movies," she says, smiling at the memory.

A little giggle emerges from Cate for the first time in a good few hours. "What's the plan for today?"

"I'm not sure. I might see what Baze is doing with himself. Are you heading back to the hospital?"

"I'm going to try to call Ryan and see what's happening, but I definitely want to go and see Matthew."

They both jump when they hear the back door open and shut.

"Ryan?" calls Cate.

"Yeah," replies Ryan, rushing into the kitchen, managing to catch his wife as she flies into his arms.

"Is everything all right? How's Matthew?"

"He's doing a lot better. Not quite a clean bill of health just yet, but he's well on the way. They're keeping him in for another few days, just to keep an eye on him, but they're really impressed with how he's getting on," he beams.

"Oh thank goodness," says Cate, kissing her very happy and relieved husband.

"That's fantastic news, Ryan. I'm sure you and Julia are elated?" comments Lux.

"That's an understatement. Her parents are at the hospital now, and they made the two of us leave to get some sleep."

"Good idea. Did the two of you manage to get any sleep last night?"

"Julia did. The doctor gave her something to help her sleep. I napped a little bit, but I'm exhausted.

"I'm not surprised. You go and get into bed, all right?" she says, kissing her husband before he heads off into their room.

Cate does a little jig, making her daughter laugh out loud. She slaps her hand over her mouth, hoping she hasn't disturbed Ryan.

"I take it you're relieved?"

"Extremely. Come on, let's get dressed and then head out. Ryan can get some sleep, and we can get some shopping done," she beams.

Baze wakes up to a call from Jessica, hoping to meet him for lunch. She knows Sunday is usually a quiet day for him at the bar, and hopes to take full advantage of that by taking him out for lunch.

He hates doing it, but he knows what he had to do. He agrees to meet her for lunch.

He crawls out of bed, finding Math already there, downing a mug of coffee.

"Morning. What's the matter?" asks Math.

"Jessica was just on the phone. She wants to meet me for lunch."

"Oh, that's great. Jamie said that she's a lovely girl, and that she's quite keen on you," gushes Math. He has always been a big romantic. He's found his perfect woman, and now he wants everyone else in his life to do that same.

"She is, she's lovely, but she's not the woman I want."

"And whose that?" asks Math.

"Cate," he says, the words shooting out of his mouth before he has the chance to think about it.

Math spits the coffee out of his mouth in horror.

"What? Are you kidding? You can't go down that road again!" he says, wiping the coffee from his chin.

Baze doesn't know where that came from. He hasn't seriously thought about him and Cate being together in a long time. Sure, his brain occasionally thinks about being with her, but he usually smacks the thoughts down as 'never gonna happen'.

"Would it really be so awful if we got together?" he asks.

"No, it wouldn't be awful, it's just never going to happen. She's with Ryan, remember. With everything that happened with the miscarriage, and finding out about the baby, they are solid as a rock. You need to let her go, Baze."

"Let who go?"

Jamie emerges from his bedroom, on his own for a change.

"Baze just announced that he still wants to be with Cate!" says Math, the shock all over his face. He really thought this whole subject was a done deal, and he's a little concerned that it's still on his friend's mind.

"Dude, that's over, deal with it," he says. He doesn't mind if he's being a little harsh, he loves Baze, and he doesn't want him to go down that road again. It's never going to happen, and he needs to accept that and truly move on.

"I know, but I can't help it. I still love her. I probably always will. There's nothing I can do about that."

"Maybe not, but the perfect woman for you is still out there somewhere. And here's a tip, it's not Cate,"adds Jamie.

"All right, I get the point. Let's move on," replies Baze, fed up with the negativity. He knows he has no chance with Cate, but their continual pointing it out isn't helping.

"Ok. So, what's everyone up to today? Anything exciting?" smiles Jamie, reaching for the coffee pot, intent on re-starting the day on a positive note.


	43. Chapter 43

The next couple of days go by quickly. Cate has barely seen Ryan during that time. He has been staying at the hospital with Julia, only coming home for some sleep, a shower or a change of clothes. Alice arranged for Baze to come into the radio station and co-host the show with Cate for the next couple of weeks. It was a lot more fun than they had anticipated. It had been a while since they last co-hosted the show together, but they slipped right back into their bantering back and forth.

At the end of the show, Alice bounds into the booth.

"That was amazing. You two are so great together," she says, beaming. "I just got off the phone with Trina, and she was actually happy."

Cate and Baze smile at one another. She misses hosting the show with her husband, but she has to admit it's a lot of fun being in the booth with Baze. She never quite knows what is going to happen with him, or what is going to come out of his mouth. She always has to be on the ball to counteract whatever he says, which can be exhausting, but she has upped her intake of coffee to help it.

"Right, come on, we're going out for lunch. I'm starved," says Alice, not willing to take no for an answer.

"Um, I was actually going to go over to the hospital to see Matthew."

"You can go later on. You need something to take your mind off what is happening, and a couple of glasses of wine over lunch will help."

"Some food might be good too," says Baze, escorting the two of them to the door. They both turn to glare at him.

"You're thinking about food instead of alcohol? Are you feeling all right?" asks Cate, grinning.

"I'm growing as a person," he laughs.

Lux is sitting beside Tasha in the study hall, their heads wrapped up with math equations and English passages. Their study schedule is going well, until the main door opens and in walks Jones. He has his arm around a cheerleader, and is laughing and smiling with her. He doesn't notice Lux until he reaches a table in the middle of the room. When his eyes fall on Lux, he looks almost embarrassed, although he's desperately trying to hide it.

She wants to go over and speak to him. Perhaps he will talk to her if they are in a room with a lot of other people. Tasha knows what her friend is thinking. She reaches her hand forward, grabbing her wrist.

"Lux, don't go over there. It won't go well."

"You don't know that," she answers defensively.

"No, I don't, but he's still mad and upset about what happened. Leave him be, please," she says.

Lux turns to look at her friend, finding a look of desperation on her face. She knows Tasha doesn't want her to be hurt.

"Please," repeats Tasha.

"All right. But I can't stay in the room with him. Come on, let's go and get something to eat," she says, hastily grabbing her things and heading out. She waits in the hallway for Tasha to join her.

"Eager to get out of there, huh?" asks Tasha, juggling the books in her hands like they were hot. She tosses her bag onto the floor and puts her books inside.

"Yeah, I just can't be around him right now. It's too difficult," she says sadly.

"I know. Come on, I'm starved," says Tasha, grabbing her friend by the arm and heading out.

Cate, Alice and Baze sit down at a little café down the road from the radio station. It's a favourite place for the workers at the station, and is mostly populated by them. Cate looks around the area to find some people from the accounts department, the receptionist and the guy who delivers the mail. She smiles, loving that she works in such a socially friendly place.

"So, how are things with Ryan and the baby?"

"He took a bit of a turn last night. His temperature went up a few degrees, so the panic button was being hit frantically, but the doctors managed to get him stabilised again."

"Thank goodness. I'm sure Ryan doesn't know if he's coming or going?" adds Alice.

"Yeah. He's so anxious about Matthew, and he's barely sleeping. He and Julia have tried to take it in turns to get to sleep at night, but it hasn't quite worked out. They have both had to resort to taking sleeping pills."

"That would just make things worse for them. They both need to get some rest."

"I know, and they are running on fumes at the moment. I'm really worried about both of them," she says, her eyes falling onto Baze. He leans forward and puts his hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing. She reaches up and puts her hand over his. She's so thankful for his support. She would be lost without the love and support of her loved ones, and these two in particular have been fantastic.

"Don't worry, it will all work out. Matthew is just like his father, he doesn't give up," says Alice.

Cate smiles at Alice.

"Yeah, he seems to. That can only be a good thing."

"That's a very good thing."

There is silence between the three of them, all trying to think of something to say. They all take bites from their food or sip from their beverage.

"So, what did Trina say about the show?" asks Baze.

"She said that she loves the two of you hosting the show together. You are a natural as a couple, and she's thinking of something that she can do to capitalise on that."

Cate feels a little anxious about that.

"What does she mean by that?"

"I'm not sure, she didn't say what she was thinking, but I'm guessing she wants to add Baze to the publicity for the show. Up until now, it's just been you and Ryan. But now that Baze is becoming a more regular member of the team, it's only right that he has a chunk of the publicity, don't you think?" replies Alice, her producer hat on her head.

"Sure, that makes sense, but I doubt that's all she has on her mind. She always likes to think of the most ridiculous ways to bring notoriety to the show."

Alice doesn't have a comeback for that. Cate is absolutely right.

"I guess we'll have to wait and see what she says. So, Baze, how's the bar going? I keep meaning to get back to the bar. I haven't been there since the big opening night party."

"You definitely need to check it out. I'll even give you the first drink on the house," he grins. "It's going really well. Most nights are really busy. Definitely keeps Jamie and I busy. Math has been giving us a hand a few nights. Not that he minds, he loves interacting with the locals."

"How are things going with you and Math? I'm sorry, I'm so far behind on what everyone has been doing recently. The whole thing with Matthew has been taking up most of my time," enquires Cate.

"That's all right. Things are going well. He's such an amazing guy. I would be lost without him recently. He's been amazing."

"Yeah, he said that you had some bother. I'm glad that he was able to give you a hand," adds Baze.

Cate turns to look at Alice. She doesn't want to ask her what happened, so she bides her time to ask her later when they are alone. She hates that she has been so caught up with things that she has neglected the other people in her life, but she's very thankful that everyone understands.


	44. Chapter 44

**Author Note: Apologies for not posting in a while. I had an accident last month that not only put me in hospital, but has also left me one handed for the next three months. Slowly getting back into the swing of things, but I'll be easing back on my writing and editing until I'm back to being a two armed woman again. I completed the next three chapters before the accident, so will get those edited and posted soon. I hope you enjoy the upcoming chapters, and thanks for your understanding.**

Ryan paces up and down outside the paediatric intensive care suite. Julia is sitting on a little chair, her feet nervously tapping on the hard flooring.

"What's taking them so long? They said they were going to run a few tests and let us know what was happening as soon as they could. That was hours ago," says Ryan nervously.

"I know. I just wish they would tell us what is going on," replies Julia, unable to settle her tapping feet. This has always been her go to motion when she's nervous. She did it during every exam in school, and she doesn't know how she got through her driving test, but she managed.

After what feels like an eternity, the door opens, and out emerges their doctor. Ryan and Julia dash to his side.

"So, what is it, what's going on?" asks Ryan.

"His temperature has stabilised again," he says simply, but Ryan and Julia are ecstatic. They leap into one another's arms in joy.

"But he's still not out of the clear. Not just yet. We are going to keep him in the intensive care suite, and then we can keep a close eye on him."

"But, he's improving, right?"

"He's holding his own," the doctor says cautiously. "You can see him shortly," he adds before heading back into the suite.

"What does that mean, 'holding his own?'" comments Ryan anxiously.

"It means that our son is a fighter, Ryan. He's not going anywhere," adds Julia, feeling the tears falling down her cheeks. He sees the tears and grabs hold of her just as she starts crying.

"I can't believe this is happening, Ryan. He has always been such a happy and healthy boy. Why did this happen?" she asks.

"I don't know. I really wish I had an answer for that," he says. He pulls back a little to kiss her gently on the forehead. She smiles up at him. He always knows just the right thing to do at the perfect moment.

"So, how's Cate and Lux? I'm sure they're missing you?" she says, trying to think of something else for them to talk about.

"Yeah, I think they are, but I'm sure they are managing. Baze is co-hosting the show with Cate, and he's been checking in on them on a fairly regular basis, just making sure that everything is all right with them."

"It's nice that they have each other."

"Yeah, it is. Kind of like us. The three of us are a team as well," he beams. He hadn't thought of it like that before, but he likes the notion.

"Yeah, you're right, we are a team. An unbeatable team."

"Damn right!" he says, letting out a little laugh.

Over the next few weeks, things go along brilliantly for everyone. Matthew continues to improve, and is soon released from the hospital. Ryan stays over at Julia's for the first couple of nights, just to make sure that everything is all right.

Lux and Tasha have finished their tests in school, and are anxiously awaiting their results. Baze is organising a dinner for the two of them to celebrate the completion of their tests. Lux hasn't had any contact with Jones. She has seen him around school, but has managed to keep her cool and avoid having any interaction with him, even though it's been so difficult to do it.

Cate and Baze have been spending a lot of time together, not only at the radio station. He has been over at her house a lot, mainly to keep her company while Ryan was at the hospital.

And as for Alice and Math, they haven't seen much of each other, although they have been talking on the phone a lot. Her mother had a slight relapse, and so she went to Fresno to spend some time with her.

On the night of the celebration dinner, everyone is getting ready to head over to Baze's bar. Math in particular is really looking forward to it. Alice has just arrived back in town, and is coming to the dinner. He's glad to have the chance to help Baze out with last minute preparations, as his brain is ready to explode with excitement.

"Math, calm down. Anyone would think you hadn't seen Alice in years," laughs Baze.

"I know, but I can't help it. How does Jamie feel about holding the fort downstairs on his own?"

"He's all right with it. Tonight should be quiet, so he'll manage. If it gets insane I can always go down and give him a hand for a little while."

Their attention is taken by a loud crash downstairs. The two of them immediately rush down to find Cate and Lux standing in the middle of the bar, a smashed bottle of wine at their feet. All four of their hands are filled with plates of food and bottles of wine.

"What happened?" asks Baze, dashing to the two women to make sure they are all right. Cate is laughing, but Lux looks rather concerned.

"Yeah, we're fine. I think we should have gone for two trips rather than just the one," replies Cate, happily passing Baze a handful of plates. Math heads back upstairs to grab a brush.

"Come on up," he says, taking a couple of wine bottles from his daughter.

"So who is attending this shindig?" asks Cate as they enter his loft. She looks all around the room in wonderment. It looks amazing. There are balloons hanging from the walls, and the table is beautifully set up. Everything looks ready to go. She's getting hungry just thinking about it. A little tinge of anxiety hits her. The last time there was a large gathering like this was at the now infamous Thanksgiving dinner, when she spat wine all over the turkey. It was also the time she told Ryan they were expecting the baby they lost a short time later. Hopefully, this dinner will be a lot more uneventful.

"Just family and close friends, and of course the two guests of honour," he begins, smiling over at his daughter. "Alice and Math, you and Ryan, your mother, and possibly your sister."

"Seriously? I didn't think they'd show up," comments Cate.

"Oh you know your mother – she never misses the chance to enjoy free food and alcohol," grins Lux.

Cate can only nod her head, fighting the desire to burst out laughing.

"Where's Ryan?" asks Baze.

"He's picking up Tasha. He was over at Julia's checking on Matthew, so he's picking her up on the way. He mentioned that you had invited Julia to the dinner?" comments Cate.

"Yeah, well she is a member of the family now, in a way, so I thought it would be nice for her to join in. Ryan said she couldn't get a babysitter?"

A slight smile on Cate's face tells him there's more to it than that.

"Not exactly. She doesn't want to leave Matthew alone. He hasn't been out of the hospital long, and she doesn't like leaving him, even for a second," answers Lux.

"That must be tough on Julia."

"Yeah, I think it is. It's tough on Ryan as well. He is the only other person she trusts to be alone with the baby. He's been spending a lot of time over there," answers Cate, the smile falling from her face.

Baze looks over at Lux, who shakes her head gingerly. This is clearly a touchy subject for Cate, so he decides to leave it and change the subject.

"So, Lux, looking forward to the end of the school year?" he asks, guessing it's a silly question. The long summer break was always his favourite time of the school year. It always meant endless fun for him and his friends.

"Um, actually, I'm not. It'll be nice to not have to go to school for a while, but aside from that, I'm not really looking forward to it."

Baze is kicking himself. He doesn't know how he managed to put both his big feet into his mouth in such a short period of time. She's clearly missing Jones.

"All right. Lux, could you help me with the potatoes? They need to be mashed. And Cate, can you take the chicken out of the oven? It should be more or less ready to go, as soon as everyone arrives."

Mother and daughter smile at Baze, glad for the change in subject, and for the assignments. They head into the kitchen, eager to get this evening started.


	45. Chapter 45

Math can't take his eyes off Alice as she eats dinner beside him. He doesn't even care when she catches him. During the time she was in Fresno looking after her mother, his feelings for her have intensified. And from Alice's point of view, her feelings for him are changing too. She's still keen to stay friends with him, but she's a lot more open to the possibility of them entering a more romantic relationship. She just needs a little bit more time to deal with the fallout from her marriage.

Ryan has arrived, and is sitting in between his wife and step-daughter. He's still a little anxious about Matthew, but he is more like his usual self, a fact that Cate is very happy about.

Baze is at the top of the table, while Tasha is at the other end, sitting beside her friend. He looks at each person in turn, quietly chatting to the person next to them while enjoying the feast in front of them.

Cate's mother is sitting beside Alice and Math, but she's more interested in keeping her glass of wine full than the impending relationship between these two. She smiles over at Lux, Ryan and Cate. She loves that the three of them are together, and getting on so well. After everything they've been through, it's a beautiful thing to witness.

Baze clicks his spoon against his wine glass, getting everyone's attention. He stands up and raises his glass in front of him, waiting until everyone does the same.

"I think it's time for a toast. To Lux and Tasha! Congratulations on finishing your exams! We're all very proud of you both."

"Lux and Tasha!" says everyone in unison.

The two young women look at one another, equally embarrassed. They hadn't expected a toast.

"So when do you get your results?" asks Alice after everyone has returned to their meals.

"Not until the end of the summer break," replies Tasha exasperatingly. She has never been the most patient person in the world, but this is an horrendous amount of time to wait for something.

"I know it seems like an eternity, but the time will fly in, I promise," smiles Math.

At the top of the table, the talk has turned to Matthew. Ryan looks at everyone at the table. Over the past few weeks his son and Julia have been his whole world. He feels so out of everything, but he's looking forward to getting caught up with what everyone is doing.

"I'm glad to hear he's doing well, Ryan," says Baze.

"Thanks. We're both really proud of him. He's quite a fighter," grins Ryan, very much the proud father.

"Does he have to go back to the hospital again, or is he done with all that?" continues Baze.

"He has to go back every couple of weeks for check-ups, but he's doing so well he shouldn't have to do it for too long."

"Good to hear. How's Julia coping with the whole thing?"

"She's doing well. She's very protective of him at the moment. The doctor suggested a therapist might be a good idea for her, so she's going to see him next week."

Cate sits upright in her chair.

"You never mentioned that before!" she says, a little dose of anger in her voice.

"Didn't I? Oh, I'm sorry, it must have slipped my mind."

"What's going to happen to Matthew when she's at the therapist?" she continues.

"I'm going to stay with him. She doesn't trust anyone else to be alone with him."

"Not even her parents? Or yours?" asks Baze, a little shocked. He can't imagine what the two of them have been through, but he can't believe someone would go through something as traumatic as that and then shut herself and her son off from the outside world.

"No, she doesn't trust anyone other than the two of us. She knows it's irrational, but she can't help it."

"Well hopefully the therapist will be able to help her," says Baze.

"Yeah, that's what we're hoping for. By the way, I never got the chance to thank you for stepping in to co-host the radio show for me. I really appreciate that."

"You're welcome. It was a lot of fun, actually. I'm sure you're glad to be back?" he says.

"I really am. I must admit it, I've missed it. It's nice to get back to normal again. Are you still doing the weekly show?"

"Absolutely," enthuses Baze. He wouldn't stop that for anything. He hadn't expected it to be as much fun as it is.

"Good, I'll look forward to it," he says, looking over at Cate for her take on the discussion.

"Would you believe Trina was actually happy with it? She came down to the station unannounced one day. You know the way she is, she panicked all of us because we thought she was going to fire everyone."

"What did she say?" asks Ryan, stabbing his fork into the chicken on his plate. Cate watches her husband's actions, suspecting that he might find it a little difficult to accept that this man who he once used to hate has now become the darling of the radio show. Even though they are now friends, it must still bother him a little.

"She said that we work really well together. She loved the dynamic between us. It was obviously different than the dynamic between the two of you, but she liked the change," beams Baze, oblivious to Ryan's reservations.

"Yeah, that sounds like Trina. Hopefully she's happy that things have gone back to the way they were."

"Of course she is. We all are," beams Baze. Even though he's going to miss being on the show every day, and especially the opportunity to spend more time with Cate, at least he will still have one day a week on the show.

"So Baze, any girlfriend on the horizon?" interjects Cate's Mother. She's proud of her daughter's successful career, but she doesn't like to hear about it too much. It's not very interesting to her.

"Mom!" scolds Cate, shooting her mother an angry look.

"I'm sorry, but I just want Baze to be happy, is that so bad?" she says, grinning inanely.

"It's all right, I don't mind answering. No Laverne, there isn't, but thanks for asking, I appreciate the concern," he says, smiling kindly. Cate has told him many a story about her relationship with her mother when she was a teenager. She went through hell, and he knows there is a part of Cate that will never forgive her mother for basically abandoning her during her pregnancy with Lux. Because of that, he'll never be able to completely warm to her.

"Oh, well that's sad," says Laverne, taking another drink. "It's about time you had a nice girlfriend. Whatever happened to that nice Emma girl, the one who was at the Thanksgiving party?" she asks.

Cate and Ryan look nervously at one another. She gazes over at Baze, who seems to be coping with the interrogation all right.

"Mom. Behave yourself. Drink your wine, all right," says Cate strongly.

Laverne falls back against the chair, realising she has overstepped her mark again. She keeps doing that when she's had a drink or two.

"So Tasha, what are your plans for the summer? Anything fun?" asks Math, intent on bringing something cheery into the conversation.

"I think I'm just going to stay at home. Last summer I was fighting to stay out of Sunnyvale. This time, I don't have to worry about that. I have my own place, thanks to Cate and Ryan, and I just want to relax and enjoy it," she says, beaming over at the couple, who return her wide smile. Hearing Tasha's words makes all the difficulties they have endured worth it.

"Sounds perfect. What about you, Lux?"

"I don't know," she says quietly. This past year has had so many ups and downs for Lux, although thankfully more ups than downs. That said, she just didn't know what to do with herself.

"Well, now that you mention it, I was thinking of taking a road trip. It would be great to get out of the city for a while, don't you think, Lux?" says Baze, gazing down the table at his daughter. He hasn't mentioned this to anyone, but he had been thinking about it for a couple of days. Knowing how difficult things have been for his daughter, this would be the perfect time for a few days away.

A small smile pops onto Lux's face.

"That sounds perfect. I'd love to get out of Portland for a few days."

"And what about you two?" he asks Cate and Ryan.

"Um, I don't think so. Things are still a little difficult with Matthew," replies Ryan.

"But you said yourself that he was getting stronger by the day. A few days away might be just what you need. The two of you have barely seen one another recently."

"I know, and I appreciate the offer, but I think we'll have to decline."

He looks over at his wife, expecting to see an angry face looking back at him. He almost falls off his chair when he meets a smiling face.

"I was thinking that some time alone at the house might be perfect. We have some time to make up for," she says, twitching her eyebrows at her husband. He knows what that means, and the idea of being alone with his wife for a few days sounds beyond idyllic.

Baze feels a little twinge in his heart. He knows that Cate loves Ryan, and he's really happy for them, but he can't help feeling sadness at the thought of them alone together. He shakes his head quickly, getting the thoughts out of his head. He has to face the fact that he will never be with Cate, and he needs to learn to accept that, somehow.

"Fantastic. Well I'll make sure things are settled at the bar for a long weekend, and then we'll take off," he beams, getting more excited at the thought of it. Spending some bonding time with his daughter might be just the medicine he needs to get him out of this slump.


	46. Chapter 46

That night, Cate and Ryan are sitting up in bed with books in their hands, but she isn't reading. She has so much going on in her head she hasn't been able to get past the first three words.

"So, what do you think about Lux heading off with Baze?" she asks, putting her book down and turning to lie on her side to look over at her husband. Ryan does the same thing, smiling as he looks at Cate.

"I think it's a great idea. Lux hasn't been herself since she and Jones broke up. It might do her the world of good." From the blank expression on her face, he knows Cate isn't as happy at the idea.

"You don't want her to go?" he enquires.

"It's not that I don't want her to go, I'm just a little nervous about what they might get up to. What if they get into trouble?"

Ryan moves closer to his wife, tenderly kissing her on the forehead.

"Cate, you're overthinking this. They will probably just camp out. The only harm they'll come to is splinter cuts from the firewood. Don't worry."

She sighs heavily in response.

"I know, you're probably right, but I can't help worrying."

"She'll be fine. Baze has become a very responsible person. I have no doubt that if something did happen, he'd be able to handle it. And Lux is a tough kid. They'll both be fine," he grins, pulling his wife into his arms. As she makes herself comfortable against his chest, she thinks over his words. He's absolutely right. Lux and Baze can look after themselves, and one another.

The next morning, Baze is sitting in front of his laptop at the kitchen table when Jamie emerges. Baze looks over his shoulder, expecting to find a strange woman following him, but he's alone.

"Did you have a quiet night?" asks Baze, watching as Jamie pours himself a large mug of coffee.

"There wasn't much talent at the bar last night. Besides, I just wasn't feeling it."

"Maybe all the hot women of Portland heard that I wasn't working, so they all stayed home," grins Baze.

There had been a time, not all that long ago, that the two of them had contests to see who could sleep with more of their female patrons. There would be repercussions for the loser, usually involving cleaning the bathroom for a week.

Jamie scowls at his friend. He's used to his friends teasing.

"How was the party?"

"It was fantastic. Lux and Tasha had a great time. And I mentioned us heading off on a road trip."

"Fantastic. What did the girls say?" asks Jamie, joining his friend at the kitchen table.

"Lux is up for it, but Tasha is going to stay home."

"So it will just be the two of you?"

Baze nods, his eyes trained on the laptop screen.

"What are you doing? Are you looking at porn?"

A massive grin spreads across Baze's face. Trust Jamie to always revert to porn being the answer.

"I'm looking up a few places Lux and I could check out during our road trip," he says, tapping slowly on the keyboard. He will forever be a two finger typist.

"Where are the two of you going to?"

"I was thinking of heading down the coast. See some of California."

"That sounds fantastic. I'm sure Lux will love it."

Baze looks up, smiling.

"That's what I'm hoping for," he says, realising that they are missing someone.

"Math must be having a lie in. That's not like him. He's usually the first one up and about. I don't think he was drinking much last night. He was too busy drooling over Alice."

Jamie lets out a burst of laughter.

"The man has it bad."

Suddenly, the door to the loft is thrown open, and in comes a slightly ruffled, but very happy Math.

"What happened to you?" asks Jamie as his friend crashes down on the chair beside him.

"I just had the best night of my life," he says, a permanent smile painted on his face.

Baze knows exactly what has happened.

"You stayed with Alice last night?"

The smile widens on his friend's face, answering the question.

"Fantastic. But I thought Alice wanted to stay friends?"

"She changed her mind when she was in Fresno with her mother. She said watching her mother going through such hard times made her realise that she couldn't put her life on hold. She had to seize all the happiness she could, and thankfully, that includes me."

"Great news. We have to do something to celebrate."

"Definitely, but nothing big all right. We want to keep it fairly quiet for a while," adds Math.

Baze and Jamie look at one another, trying not to laugh. Anyone would think Math had never met them before. They don't do anything by half measures.

Lux was having dinner at Tasha's, watching her friend in awe. She can't believe the change in her friend. When they were in Sunnyvale Tasha could barely boil an egg. Now she has made them a full roast dinner, and prepared a dessert of chocolate cake.

"I didn't realise my best friend is a domestic diva," comments Lux, watching as Tasha sets down serving plates crammed with food.

"I know. I have fallen in love with watching cookery programmes. I can't believe I've become so homey."

Lux places some food on a plate, and glares at it for a few moments. She remembers all too well some of Cate's cooking nightmares, and she's feeling a little anxious about Tasha's efforts. She takes a deep breath, puts some food on the fork and eats it.

"It's beautiful," she says happily, and with much relief.

"Thank you. I'm glad you like it."

They enjoy the food in silence for a few moments before Tasha breaks it.

"So, looking forward to the road trip with Baze?"

"Yeah, I am actually. It'll be fantastic to get out of Portland for a while."

Tasha has to bite her tongue so she doesn't bring up Jones, as she knows he's the main reason she wants to leave town, but she knows it will just upset her.

"So what's your plan while we're away?" asks Lux.

A sly smile pops onto Tasha's face. If only Lux knew her true plans.

"I think I might decorate my bedroom. The rest of the apartment is great, but I hate the wallpaper in my room. It's a bit too pink."

Lux almost chokes on a piece of chicken. She can just imagine the agony for Tasha to have to sleep in a pink room. She has never been a very girlie girl, and has always loathed pink.

"Yeah, I didn't think that would last long. Are you sure you'll be all right on your own?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry. Besides, if I get lonely I can always see if Cate wants to do something."

She loves that Tasha has become a real member of the family. She has always been like a sister to her, and now her whole family thinks the same way.

"Sounds like a good idea."

"Where are the two of you going?" asks Tasha.

"I'm not sure, I think Baze is going to work out the route. I'm just hoping he lets me do some of the driving."

"I bet he will. He'll enjoy the chance to chill out and see the scenery."

"I don't think Baze is a scenery type of guy. I hope we can see a bit of California. I've always wanted to go there."

"Then why don't you suggest it?"

"Maybe."

"Why not? This is your trip as well."

Lux nods her head. She has a point there.


	47. Chapter 47

"Lux, come on. We're only going away for a week. You don't need to take your entire closet."

Baze is sitting in Cate and Ryan's living room, waiting for his daughter. He's anxiously tapping his fingers on his knee, continually looking up at the little staircase that leads to her room.

Ryan emerges from the kitchen and hands him a mug of coffee.

"Thanks, but we won't be here much longer."

Ryan smiles at him.

"Yeah you will. You live with these two long enough you learn to accept the loss of timely departures," he says, taking a seat beside him on the couch.

"I thought she was just like this before school."

"Sadly, no," adds Ryan, taking a sip from his mug of coffee.

Cate comes out of the kitchen with a large Tupperware box loaded with food. As she hands it to Baze he looks at her as though she has lost her mind.

"Cate I know you said you wanted to give us some food for the trip but I thought you meant a few bars of chocolate. I didn't think you were going to give us the contents of a small grocery store."

"Well I want to make sure the two of you eat properly while you're away. You don't know how often you'll come across a restaurant."

"Yeah, cause there are so few places to eat in California," teases Baze. He knows she's only being concerned, but he can't help making a little joke out of it.

Cate doesn't rise to his teasing. She almost leaps out of her skin when she hears her daughter clomping down the stairs. She has a large bag in her hands which is clearly crammed to busting point.

"Ok, all ready to go," she beams. All three adults look at her curiously.

"What's the matter?" she asks.

"Are you sure you have enough there? Nothing missing?" asks Ryan, smiling.

Lux looks down at her bag. She guesses she has packed a lot of clothes. Growing up, she never had much in the way of material things. Since she's been living with Cate, her closet has grown enormously.

"Everything is accounted for. Come on Baze," she says, heading to the door.

After a long goodbye, Lux and Baze head out of the city. Cate crashes down on the couch. She knows she's being over rational, but she can't help it. What will she be like when Lux heads off to college in a couple of years?

Ryan sits beside her, wraps his arms around her, and gently kisses her on the forehead.

"Come on, let's get some lunch, huh? How about that little Italian place you like?"

Cate looks into her husbands' blue eyes. She is so glad she has him in her life.

Math is alone in the loft, marking papers. Not the way he likes to spend a Saturday evening, but with Math being away with Lux, Jamie working in the bar and Alice needing an early night he didn't really have any other choice.

He is absorbed in reading essays when there is a knock at the door. He opens the door to someone he has never met, but whom she recognises instantly from photographs.

"Jeff. Can I help you?"

A sly smile spreads across the face of Alice's husband.

"You recognise me?"

"Of course. Alice has shown me pictures of you."

"Well isn't that nice. Can I come in? I need to speak with you."

Math's heart starts to pound. That doesn't sound good. He is working through a divorce with Alice. Jeff should have no need to speak with him.

"I'm actually busy right now."

"It's important," replies Jeff simply.

Math really doesn't want to allow Jeff into his home, but if it regards Alice, then it may be something he needs to know.

"Fine, come on in," he says, standing to the side to allow Jeff to pass.

As he joins Jeff in the middle of the room he notices him gazing all around the loft, the look of derision abundant on his face. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this. He is used to staying in five star hotels, not little lofts above bars. He feels like commenting that this loft holds more warmth than all the five star hotels in the world, but he knows there is no point. Jeff's opinion has been made, and it isn't going to change.

"So, what do you want Jeff?"

"I want you to stay away from my wife!" he says commandingly, folding his arms across his chest.

Math can't help laughing. This man has some nerve.

"Let me get this straight. You file for divorce from your wife, but as soon as she starts to move on; find happiness with someone else, you decide you want her back. So what, if she can't be happy with you, she can't be happy with anyone else?"

Jeff grins.

"Quite the drama queen, aren't you?"

Math has lost all patience with this man.

"Look, if you've just come here to put me down then you can leave," he commands, waving his arm towards the door.

Jeff sighs heavily, keeping his eyes steadily on Math.

"I'm sorry, you've clearly misunderstood. There will be no divorce. I want Alice back, and you're standing in my way. I came to your quaint little abode to tell you that if you don't stop seeing my wife, I will trample all over you."

Math glares at Jeff. He can't believe he has just been threatened. It takes a few moments before he's able to respond.

"Are you serious? Alice is done with you. Your marriage is over. All the threats in the world won't change her mind."

"Yes they will. I have always known what is best for my wife, and this is no different."

"But you were the one who first filed for divorce."

"Yes, because at the time I thought it was the right thing to do. Now I realise it was a bad decision."

"Well that's bad luck. Alice is done with you. Move on."

A look of fury shoots onto Jeff's face, so much so Math is worried that he's going to punch him. He starts to back away from him when the loft door springs open, and in bounds Jamie.

"What's going on? Math, are you all right?" asks Jamie, his eyes dashing between this stranger and his friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Jeff here was just leaving."

Without saying another word Jeff leaves the loft, but Math is in no doubt that this isn't the end of the matter.

"What was all that about?" asks Jamie.

"That was Alice's husband. He wants me to stay from her."

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him that I wasn't going to. He needs to accept that his marriage is over."

"Do you think he's going to do it?"

"Not a chance. This is about to get interesting," says Math, reaching for the phone.


	48. Chapter 48

Baze and Lux find themselves a little hotel for the night. Their room has two rooms and a quaint living room/kitchen area.

"So, do you want to go out to eat, or find something in Cate's little care package?" asks Baze, crashing down on the couch.

"I think I'd like to go out. I saw a little pizza place down the road," comments Lux. She laughs when her father sits bolt upright at the word pizza. He smiles at her reaction.

"I can't help it. My hearing is trained to pick up on certain words. Pizza is one of them."

The smile remains on her face as they head out to the pizza place.

Cate sets the table in preparation for Ryan's return with dinner. She had offered to make them dinner, but Ryan said no. He didn't want her stuck in the kitchen during their first night of alone time.

When Ryan comes through the door, he's talking on his phone, very agitated. Cate quickly assesses that he's speaking to his mother. She has never really bonded with her mother in law. Most contact with her is through Ryan, which is just fine with Cate. She tries not to listen in on the conversation, but it's quite heated.

She jumps when she hears Ryan throw his phone on the table in the living room.

"What's going on?" she asks, joining him.

"Paige is in prison in New York," he says simply, but with a lot of anger.

"What happened?"

Ryan's sister has always been a bit of a loose cannon. They never knew what she was going to do next, but something drastic had to have happened for her to end up in prison.

"Apparently she was dating some guy she met at a bar she was working at. He walked into the bar with another woman on a night she wasn't supposed to be working. Paige confronted them, and it all descended into a massive fight. He's pressing charges, so she's in prison."

Cate is stunned. She knew it wasn't going to be good, but she never expected this. Paige may be feisty, but she never thought she would do something this reckless.

"So what's happening now?"

"Dad is on his way to New York to see about bailing her out and organising a lawyer. He's hoping to take her back to Portland, but he's not sure the authorities will allow her to leave New York."

Cate throws her arms around her husband. Ryan and his sister have always been close. Even when he discovered the truth about Paige and Baze sleeping together, and that she had stolen money from his wife to give to Baze after burning down his bar, he was still willing to forgive her. This may be the final straw for him, but she hoped not.

"I'm so sorry."

She notices the bag of food sitting on the living room table.

"Come on, lets get some food, and then pick a silly movie to watch, she says, grabbing the bag of food and then her husbands hand.

"I'm not really hungry anymore."

"Neither am I, but we both need to eat. Even just a little bit."

They sit at the table, and eat a little bit more than either of them expected.

Math nervously taps his fingers on the table, waiting for Alice to pick up. When there is no answer after a couple of minutes, he hangs up and grabs his jacket.

He pulls up outside Alice's home, relieved that her car is parked outside. He heads right to the door, pounding on the small glass panel.

His heart rate settles when Alice opens the door.

"Math, what's going on?"

He pulls her into a monster bear hug, only letting her go when she tells him she can't breathe.

"I called you but you didn't pick up. I was worried about you."

"Why? Everything is fine."

"Have you heard from Jeff recently?"

Alice's face falls.

"Come on in. I need to talk to you," she says, holding the door open for him.

Math's heart falls to his shoes. This can't be good.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" asks Lux, taking a massive bite from her vegetarian pizza. She looks at Baze in dismay. He's annihilating his pepperoni pizza with such glee. It's beyond her how someone could find meat so enticing.

Well, I was thinking, we're pretty close to the California border, how about we check out Eureka? Home of California's oldest zoo," he beams.

Lux can't help but laugh. "Have you been Googling?"

He raises his hands in mock horror.

"But of course. You didn't think I was going to look at a bunch of guide books did you?"

She smiles in response. She knows perfectly well that he did. She saw the guidebooks in the loft. She loves that he went to so much trouble to make their trip extra special.

"The zoo sounds perfect. Looking forward to it."

Back in Portland, Tasha is preparing her bedroom for a thorough re-decoration. Cate had just left after a visit for breakfast, making sure that she's all right. Cate told her to come over to the house anytime. She wasn't used to being this well taken care off, but she was really enjoying it. Even if it was taking her a while to get used to.

"Do you need some help painting?" offers Cate.

"No, I'm fine thanks," she smiles.

Under normal circumstances, she would have taken Cate up on the offer, but she has something else in mind.


	49. Chapter 49

Tasha reaches for her phone, dialling a number she hasn't used in a long while.

"Hey Jones, how are you?" she asks tentatively.

"Hi Tasha, what's going on?" he asks cheerily.

She's relieved, but a little taken aback. She had half expected him to hang up on her. This is off to a better start than she anticipated.

"I'm doing really well. I haven't talked to you in a while, and I wanted to see how you're doing."

"Did Lux put you up to this?" asks Jones.

"No, of course not. She's not even in town right now. Her dad has taken her away on a road trip."

"Oh," he says simply.

"So, how's things?" she asks, quickly sidestepping the Lux issue.

"Things are all right. Keeping busy. How's everything with you? Must be strange for you with Lux being out of town?"

Tasha pours herself a mug of coffee and makes herself comfortable on her couch. She's enjoying this. She hasn't been able to chat with Jones like this in such a long time, and she's missed it.

"It is strange. I'm used to seeing her, and talking to her every day. But I'm glad she's gone away with Baze. She's been through a lot recently," she says, speaking before thinking. She curses herself. She doesn't want to make him feel bad, especially not now when they are trying to get their relationship back on track.

"Yeah, I know the feeling," he adds, in a whisper. He coughs, like he were trying to get his voice back. "So, what are you up to while she's away?" he continues.

"I'm decorating. I'm about to start my bedroom, and then I might do the living room."

"Sounds like fun," he says, not taking the bait.

"I'm not sure I'd describe it as fun, but it'll be nice when it's done. What are you doing with yourself?" she asks, crossing her fingers that he makes the offer she's hoping for.

There is silence on the other end of the phone.

"Nothing much. Do you want some help?"

Tasha punches the air. That's exactly what she wanted to hear.

"If you don't mind, that would be great," she replies, smiling from ear to ear.

Lux and Baze walk out through the main door of the zoo.

"That was so much fun. Thank you," beams Lux.

"Glad you liked it, kiddo. I enjoyed it myself. Do you want to do something else, or are you ready for some food?" he enquires.

"I'm exhausted actually, so how about we find a café or something and get some food and then head back to the hotel?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Ok, the topic for today is when do you sleep together for the first time? And, is the first date too soon?" asks Cate, looking over at her husband. He's still distracted because of the situation with his sister, but he's coping with it well. "So Ryan, when do you think is too soon?" she asks, wanting to bring her husband back to the present situation.

Ryan looks up at her, realising that she's talking to him. Without missing a beat, he answers her.

"There is no such thing as too soon. When the time is right, it's right."

"Oh that is rubbish, you need to get to know someone before you sleep with them," responds Cate, enjoying this banter with Ryan. Their banter was always one of her favourite aspects of working with her husband.

Alice watches the exchanges from her control booth beside their little studio. Even though she works with Cate and Ryan every day, she is a massive fan of their show. She has never been a morning person, which made her allocation of the morning show perplexing when she first received it. But now that she has been doing it for a while, she enjoys it. A main part of that is down to Cate and Ryan: her good friends who keep her eternally entertained.

During the advertisement break, Alice lets her mind wander back to the conversation she had with Math the day before. When she told him that her husband wanted her back he didn't seem shocked or surprised. In fact, he looked as though he knew it was coming.

"So, what are you going to do?" he asked, a look of desperation on his face. Alice has always known that he loved her, but it wasn't until he heard this piece of news that she realised just how intense his feelings are for her.

"I'm not going back to him, if that's what you're thinking," she adds, smiling. Her heart melts when she sees the massive grin on his face. He grabs hold of her, not wanting to let her go.

"I'm so happy," he says, holding her tightly. "But I don't understand. Jeff seemed so determined that he was going to win you back."

"Yeah, he never did take my opinions into account. He always believed that his assessment of things was the right one. But he was so wrong on this. I don't want him back. I love you, and that's the end of the matter. If Jeff doesn't file for divorce again, then I will."

The smile on Math's face made her decision all the clearer. He was the man she was meant to be with. Jeff was now a part of her history, and that's where he was going to stay.

"Baze, can I ask you a question?"

Lux and Baze were sitting in their latest hotel room, enjoying a little TV dinner. They generally went out for something a little more wholesome and fulfilling, but the weather had turned wet and windy, so they decided to get some take out and head to their room.

"Absolutely, you can ask me anything."

"How did you react when Cate told you she was pregnant?"

Baze almost chokes on his hamburger.

"What made you ask that question?"

"I was just wondering. I know you and Cate weren't dating or anything. You weren't even close. I was just curious about how you reacted."

Baze's heart sinks. He hates to think that she is still running things like this through her mind, especially after everything they have been through together.

"Lux, we barely knew one another in high school. I was the high school jock, one of the most popular guys in school," he begins. Even though he has come a long way since then, he is still fairly proud of his school jock reputation. At the time, it brought him immense joy to be in his position, and all the benefits that came with it. That said, he is deeply ashamed of how he treated Cate.

"Cate always says you barely acknowledged her presence when the two of you passed each other in the corridor, or saw one another in class."

Baze nods his head sadly.

"Yeah, that was the way it was in high school. The jocks kept with their people, and the, um, other students stayed with their people. I doubt much has changed?"

Lux shakes her head slightly. In her high school, she and Tasha are seen in the same way Cate was during her school career. She takes a little pleasure in that. As much as she loves Baze, she wouldn't like to be the way he was in high school.

"Did you talk to her after she told you she was pregnant?"

"No, I didn't. I knew it was the wrong thing to do, but I did all I could to avoid her. And she let me go. I really didn't take much interest in how she was feeling, or coping with the pregnancy."

"Did you ever check up on her, or me?"

"No. She went on her way, I went on mine, and I never saw her again until the day you reunited us at the radio station."

Baze watches the sad look on his daughter's face grow with each word. He hates that his stupid actions long ago are causing her such pain now.

"But that's the past, Lux. If I could change everything, I would. Believe me, I would. I wish things could be different. The important thing is that we're together now. Thanks to you, we're a family again, and I will always love you for that."

Lux beams. Perfect answer.

"Are you ok?" he asks. He doesn't want to hide things from his daughter, but he also doesn't want to distress her more than he already has.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for telling me," she says, a smile spreading across her pretty face before she reaches for her bottle of water. "So, what are our plans for tomorrow?" she asks.

Lux is happy that she knows the truth, but now she wants to put it aside and get on with her road trip with her father. More than anything else, she's glad that she has him in her life, and that he's a much better man now than he was in high school.


	50. Chapter 50

Tasha opens her door to a very cheery Jones. He raises a paint brush, a massive smile on his face.

"Ready to get started?" he asks.

"That I am, come on in," she says, happily waving him through.

"So, do you want some coffee before we start painting?" she asks. Now that he's actually here, she's feeling a little anxious about how she's going to approach the whole Lux issue.

"Um, no thanks. How about we get started, and leave the coffee until tea break time?" he suggests.

"Sure, that sounds like a plan. I have the room all ready to go," she says, showing him into her bedroom. The furniture is sitting in the centre of the room, covered with large sheets.

"You must have been a girl scout when you were a kid," jokes Jones.

"Yeah," smiles Tasha sadly. Her mind wanders back to her time at Sunnyvale with Lux. They had a room to themselves for a while, and they arranged with the powers that be for them to paint their room. They couldn't decide which colour they wanted to paint the room, so they allocated one wall each. The remaining two walls would be painted white. Tasha picked dark red, whereas Lux went with a light blue. It was one of the best experiences of her young life. She and Lux bonded like crazy, and that was the event that made them sisters.

Now, she was painting again, but instead of bonding with Lux, she was hoping to do something good for her sister/friend.

"Good morning kiddo. I have got the best plan for today. I want it to be a surprise, so I can't tell you what it is, but I hope you like it," he says, a wide smile on his face.

"Great," she answers enthusiastically. The night before, her brain had been flip-flopping between relief and sadness over her earlier conversation with her father. She wasn't able to fall asleep until she reminded herself of the most important thing: she has her mother and father in her life now. Things may not be perfect, but they are together.

"Are you all right? After everything we talked about last night, I was worried I had said too much," he says, pouring her some orange juice.

"No, it's fine, I'm glad you told me. But there is still one thing that bothers me."

This is something that has been running through her mind for the longest time, and since they are being honest with one another, she may as well get this off her chest as well.

"What's that?" he asks, sinking his teeth into a slice of toast.

"Do you think you and Cate will ever get together?"

Baze chokes on the toast in his mouth. He remembers them going through this when Cate married Ryan, but she thought Lux had come to terms with Cate marrying Ryan.

"I thought you liked Ryan?" he manages to say in-between coughs.

"I do. He's a great guy, but Cate belongs with you. Everyone knows that," she says as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Baze moves to his daughter's side, lowering his head so that they are eye to eye.

"Lux, you need to get over this. Cate is with Ryan. There is nothing you or I can do about that."

"That doesn't answer my question. You want to be with Cate. I know you do. And I know she feels the same way, but she's so wrapped up in everything to do with Ryan that she doesn't realise it yet."

Baze feels a small dose of anger rising within him. He knows that Lux is passionate about her parents being together. He can't blame her for that. But he has managed to get to the stage where he has accepted that they will never be together. She is with Ryan, and for the most part, they are very happy together.

"Lux, it's never going to happen, so please, let's stop talking about it."

Lux doesn't want to upset her father, but she wants him to be happy. She can't see that happening with anyone but Cate.

"Ok, let's talk about something else. Where are we headed today?"

"Oh no, I'm not telling you a thing. It has to be a big surprise. I think you'll like it," he beams, reaching for another slice of toast.

Tasha and Jones make small talk for an hour or two, catching up on one another's lives. Jones has been hanging out with his family. His mother hasn't been very well recently, so he's been spending a lot of time at home.

"So, have you been dating?" asks Tasha, almost in a whisper.

Jones' whole painting style changes. He goes from strong and determined to slow and a little absent minded.

"Not really. I mean, I've been on a few dates, but my heart just wasn't in it."

"Missing Lux?" she fires out, immediately regretting it. She doesn't want to push him too far.

He puts down the paintbrush.

"Am I that easy to read? And there I thought I was hiding it well," he smiles nervously.

"I was just guessing."

"Well, you were right. I am still so angry at her, but I miss her. I hate myself for it, but I miss seeing her every day. I miss spending time with her. Isn't that ridiculous?"

Tasha sits down on the bottom of the bed, the only part of the bed that is visible behind the bedroom furniture. Now that she's started this, she's going to see it through.

"It isn't ridiculous at all. The two of you went through a lot together. It makes sense that you'd miss her. Do you think the two of you will ever get back together again?"

A hopeful smile spreads across her face. She really likes Jones, and knows that he and Lux should be together. Granted, she did the wrong thing by spending time with her ex-boyfriend, Bug behind his back, but there is nothing that can't be worked out.

"I don't know, Tasha. There is a part of me that will always love Lux, but I don't know if I can forgive her."

Tasha sighs heavily. She's not going to let this go. She just hopes she doesn't make it worse.

"Jones I know she lied to you, and that was stupid, but you know she and Bug had a troubled relationship. I doubt she's told you everything about their relationship, but trust me, they have been through a lot together. Good and bad."

"I understand that, but it doesn't excuse her for lying to me."

"I agree, but you have to see things from her point of view. I know that you and Lux belong together. I just wish you could get over your anger for her and move forward."

"With Lux?"

"Yes. You know how much I love both you guys, and if Lux ever did something truly horrible to you, I would be on your side, one hundred and ten per cent. But this isn't it. It was stupid, definitely, but there has to be a way for the two of you to come back from it," she answers sincerely.

Jones nods.

"When is she due back from the road trip with her dad?" he asks.

"Another few days."

"Perhaps I'll arrange to meet up with her. Can't hurt, right?"

Tasha feels like she has just won the lottery. That's exactly what she wanted to hear.

"Thank you," she says, reaching for her paintbrush again.


	51. Chapter 51

Ryan is sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying Cate's latest cooking success. He listens in as his wife speaks to Tasha on the phone. They haven't seen her for a couple of days, and she wanted to check up on how she was getting on. Thankfully, all seems to be well.

"That's fantastic, Tasha. Lux will be so happy when she gets back home. I'll talk to you tomorrow, all right?" says Cate, hanging up the phone and bouncing into the kitchen. Ryan laughs at his bubbly wife.

"What's going on?"

"Tasha has been talking to Jones, and he's going to speak with Lux when she gets back from her road trip. Isn't that fantastic?" she says, sitting down beside him and digging into her plate of chicken casserole.

"That's amazing. I'm sure Lux will be ecstatic. Have you talked to her since she's been away?" he asks. The past twenty four hours have been frantic for him. Between spending time with Julia and Matthew, working, and catching up with his wayward sister, he hasn't had a second to himself.

"She called me a few days ago. She's having a fantastic day. The two of them are bonding like crazy."

"And you're all right with that?" asks Ryan, stabbing a piece of chicken with his fork.

"Yes, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I just know that you're very protective of Lux and her relationships. Even with Baze."

As much as she would like to argue with her husband, she has to agree with him. Since Lux came back into her life, she has been completely protective of Lux and the people she hangs out with. In all likelihood she's overly protective. But after everything she has been through in the past sixteen years of her life, she can't help feeling protective, even if she was over doing it.

"You're right, but I am working hard to calm down."

"I'm sure Lux appreciates that."

"How's everything with Paige? Did your dad get her home all right?" asks Cate.

"Yeah, she's home. Mum and Dad have moved her back into their place, which she is far from happy about."

"I could believe it. She never was a stay at home kind of girl."

"No she isn't, but on this occasion, there's nothing she can do about it. I still can't believe she was so stupid. How could she think attacking a guy was a good idea?"

"I'm not sticking up for her here, she was completely out of order, but I understand what it's like to love someone that doesn't love you back. Your brain doesn't always do the right thing. Your heart leads your head, and sometimes you have no control over it."

Ryan glares at his wife. He doesn't like the sound of that.

"Who are you talking about?" he says, quickly realising he has the answer. "Is this about Baze?"

"No, of course not. It was a guy from college. I fell madly in love with him, but he didn't love me," she fires back. She looks over at Ryan, but she knows he doesn't believe her. "So, what's going to happen with Paige?" asks Cate in a desperate bid to change the subject.

"She's going to be called to court in New York in a few months."

"How do you think she's going to get on in court?"

"My parents are taking her to a lawyer tomorrow, so we'll have to wait to hear what she says."

"I hope everything goes all right for her. I'd hate to see her spending time in prison."

"She wouldn't survive," replies Ryan quietly.

Cate can only nod her head in agreement. Paige might project herself as a confident, self-assured young woman, and to some degree she does fit that description. But from what Cate has seen of her sister-in-law, she is in many ways a child in an adult woman's body. Prison isn't fun for anyone, nor should it be, but for someone like Paige, it could very well be the end of the woman they both know.

Husband and wife eat their food in silence, neither of them able to think of a way to make the situation better.

At the loft, Jamie and Math are enjoying their time alone, although they both have to admit that things are much quieter without Baze. Jamie has been getting acquainted with many of the female patrons, while Math has been spending a lot of time with Alice. Her ex-husband, Jeff, is still making a bit of a nuisance of himself; making nasty phone calls, popping up outside the house, the bar, and the radio station. Math has been trying to convince her to go to the police, but she doesn't want to do it, preferring to believe that he'll get bored when he finally realises that he isn't going to get her back.

The next morning, Math and Jamie are making breakfast.

"So, has Alice finally gotten tired of you and kicked you out?" jokes Jamie.

Math knows he hasn't been around as much the past couple of days, but he hasn't been able to help it. His relationship with Alice has taken a massive jump into serious, and he doesn't want to miss a second of it.

"No, she loves me more and more every day. And the feeling is very mutual," gushes Math.

Jamie holds his stomach as though he were going to throw up.

"You've just never been in love, Jamie. Even Baze knows what it's like to be in love."

"Yeah, but that one didn't work out so well, did it?" says Jamie.

"Do you think they'll ever get together?" asks Math. He suspects the answer is a resounding 'no', but he can't help but wonder. It would be fantastic if Cate and Baze could get together.

"That's not an option," replies Jamie simply. "How's everything with Alice?"

"Things could not be better. I know this is going to sound completely dorky, but I'm in love," he grins. "I have never felt this way before, Jamie. I know that she's the girl for me."

Jamie is so happy for his friend, but he can't fight the urge to tease him. He has never seen his friend look more in love, or happy, but ridicule and teasing will have to win out.

"Well, that's nice. Good to see two girls making it work," he says, somehow managing to keep a straight face.

Math doesn't rise to it. He knows that if he does, Jamie will never let him forget it.

"So, when is Baze due back?" asks Jamie.

"Another couple of days. I can't believe their time is almost up. Seems like only five minutes ago that they set off."

"I know. Things will be back to normal soon," smiles Jamie. He doesn't like change all that much.

Math looks at his friend as he makes another pot of coffee. Somehow, he doubts things will ever be the same again.


	52. Chapter 52

Baze escorts his daughter to the beach. They are getting close to the Oregon border, but he wanted to make this one stop before heading back into Portland. He can't help but smile at the questioning look on his daughter's face.

"Baze, this is beautiful and all, but why are we here?" she asks.

"I thought you might want to see my favourite place when I was a teenager. You wanted to know more about the younger me. This might tell me a little bit more."

Lux looks all around the area. It's a gorgeous spot. The sand is the most beautiful colour, and the water is the most glorious blue, it looks as though it had been painted.

"I can understand why you would want to spend time here, but what made you want to get so far away from Portland?" she asks as they move closer to the seashore. They find a nice spot to sit and talk while watching the water pound against the sand.

"Well, you've met my parents, so that's one part of the answer," he says, not willing to allow his mind to go back to what it was like to grow up in the hell that was the Bazile household.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to spend too much time with them either. Were they the only reason?"

"My parents were the main reason, but I was in a bit of a rut. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. My friends were going to college, or getting jobs. But I didn't have the interest to do anything like that. I just wanted to bum around. I didn't have any goals or anything I wanted to achieve in my life."

"I'm sure your parents were delighted about that?"

"Oh they were ecstatic. My mum just wanted me to be happy, but dad wouldn't let it drop. At the time, I wanted to be as far from him as I possibly could. A friend had taken me to this beach when we were still in school. He taught me how to surf, so every time I needed to get away I would come here, surf for a few hours, and have a little barbecue on the beach. I had some of the best times of my teenage years here."

"Did you think things over? Everything that had happened with Cate?" ponders Lux.

"I tried not to. To my teenage mind, it killed my buzz, so I didn't want to think about Cate and you unless I had to. But sometimes, I couldn't help it."

"What did you think about?" she asks, reaching into her bag for a bottle of water and some chocolate. She's going to need some sustenance for this.

Baze sighs heavily. He's not a man who enjoys thinking about his emotions, especially when they are as difficult to think about as this, but if it gives his daughter a bit more of an understanding of him, then he's prepared to do it.

"I thought about what happened with Cate, and about the pregnancy. I wondered what would happen with the baby, um, you. I thought about what would happen in the future, where I would end up."

"Where did you want to end up?"

"I wanted to run my own business, funnily enough," he smiles.

"Did you know you would eventually end up with a bar?"

"That was always the big goal, yeah. I always felt comfortable in bars. Not just for the alcohol, although I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a part of it. I just liked the atmosphere and hanging out with the guys. I figured that is where I am at my best, so why not turn something I love into my job."

"Definitely a good idea. How did you convince your dad to give you the building?"

"It took a lot of talking and convincing, but I finally managed to talk him around. I think he did it mainly to get my off his back, but I knew I wanted it, and I knew how to go about it."

"Didn't entirely work out as planned though. Not at the beginning, anyways."

Baze can feel a stab in his heart. It's bad enough he thinks of the bar as a one-time failure, it's even worse when his daughter has the same assessment.

"No, it definitely took longer than expected for it all to come together, but look at it now, right?" he says, beaming. For all the faults and failures, it has come together beautifully.

Lux smiles back at her father. He has come along nicely. She feels as though she knows him a lot better than she did when they started this trip, and for that, she will be eternally grateful.

They sit in silence for a few moments, enjoying the views around them, and just being together.

Cate is just heading out of the radio station when her husband comes up behind her.

"Hey, you're leaving without me?" he asks.

"Sorry, I thought you were heading over to Julia's to see Matthew?"

"That had been the plan, but her parents are going over, so I want to avoid the place. I thought we could head out to lunch. Lux will be back soon, and we haven't had as much alone time as we had hoped."

"That sounds fantastic, but I am actually meeting Alice for lunch. She needs to talk to me about something, I'm thinking it's about Math."

"Oh," he replies, unable to hide his disappointment.

She throws her arms around Ryan's neck, reaching up to kiss him.

"How about I come straight home and make us something to eat? I shouldn't be all that long," she offers.

A little smile pops onto Ryan's face.

"Perfect. I'll see you then," he says, kissing her quickly on the cheek before heading back into the station.

Cate is already on her second mug of coffee when Alice walks into the little café. She sits down with her friend in a flurry.

"Hey, what's going on?" asks Cate. She hasn't seen her friend like this in a long time, and she can't quite make out if it's a good thing, or a bad thing.

"I need your advice on something," she answers, managing to keep calm long enough to order a latte and a chocolate chip muffin.

"All right. What's going on?" she laughs. Alice is so smiley right now, and Cate loves it. After everything she has been through with Jeff, she is overdue some happiness.

"I am thinking of asking Math to move in with me. What do you think?" she asks.

Cate is a little taken aback.

"I didn't know the two of you were that serious? And what about Jeff?"

From the smile on Alice's face, they clearly were. "Jeff is going to have to accept that we're over. I can't worry about him anymore. What do you think?" asks Alice again.

"I think it's a great idea. Math is an amazing man, but just take it easy. I don't want you to leap into something before you're ready."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you and Jeff haven't been separated for long, and I don't want either of you to get hurt. Math is a delicate flower, after all."

Alice grins. "Oh he isn't all that delicate, believe me. Look, we aren't going to rush into anything before we're ready, but I think we're in a good place, and I want to move forward. Hopefully Math is in the same place as me."

"I hope so too. I know how much he adores you," she says.

The waitress comes back with Alice's order, refilling Cate's drink while she's there.

"So what's happening with you? I saw you and Ryan talking before you left the station. Is everything all right with you two?"

"Yeah, things are ok. We had planned to spend a lot of time together since Baze and Lux have been out of town, but it didn't quite work out like that."

Alice nods her head in sympathy. She understands how difficult it can be to spend time with loved ones, especially when everything is going mad.

"Are you going to have the chance to spend some time together before she gets back?"

"That's the plan. When I leave here I'm heading home, and we're going to have lunch together."

"That'll be nice," gushes Alice.

"Yeah," replies Cate, almost absentmindedly.

"You don't look very keen on the idea."

"It's not that, it's just that things are so difficult at the moment. It seems to be one drama after another. We had such plans for our alone time without Lux, and we haven't been able to do any of it because of everything with his sister."

"The two of you have hit another rough spot?" asks Alice, concerned.

"We just never spend time together. We are trying so hard to make our marriage work, especially after the miscarriage, and finding out about Julia and the baby."

"It's been a lot. Too much, actually. Here's an idea. How about, when Lux comes back, you and Ryan take off somewhere. A little weekend away somewhere."

Cate thinks things over.

"That's a fantastic idea. Get away somewhere, and a place where we can't be interrupted by phone calls and family members."

Cate beams widely. She's excited just thinking about getting away with Ryan.


	53. Chapter 53

Cate gets home to a wonderful sight. Ryan is standing at the kitchen table, chopping some tomatoes to add to the salad he's preparing. She stands just inside the room, watching for a few moments before Ryan catches her.

"Are you all right?" he asks, smiling over at her, continuing to chop the tomatoes.

"I could not be better. I was supposed to be making us something to eat though," she comments, joining him at the table.

"You are, I'm just getting you started. I could do with a glass of wine," he says, jerking his head towards the permanently full wine rack sitting on the kitchen counter. "So how did things go with Alice?"

"Very well actually. She's going to ask Math to move in with her," she says, pouring them a glass of wine each.

"Really? I didn't realise they were that serious."

"Neither did I, but apparently they are crazy about one another."

"What do you think he'll say?" asks Ryan, grabbing a lettuce and starts slicing.

"I'm not sure, but I have the feeling he'll say yes. They adore one another. It's so sweet," she says, grabbing a pack of chicken to start making the main part of the meal.

"That's sweet. I hope they can make it work."

Cate notices a slight change in her husband's demeanour. She has a very good idea of what has happened.

"Have you talked to Julia since you left the station?"

Ryan sighs heavily, silently answering the question.

"What did she say? Are her parents still driving her insane?"

"They have decided to retire to Florida, and they want Julia and Matthew to go with them."

Cate practically drops the chicken in her hands.

"What did Julia say to that?"

"She told her parents that she wasn't going. Aside from the fact that I am Matthew's Father, and I have a right to be in his life, she has a life of her own here in Portland."

"I'm sure they are ecstatic about that?"

"They've been trying to pressure her all day, saying that she should get away from the complications in her life, namely me, but they aren't getting anywhere. She has made up her mind, and that's the end of it. Once she makes a decision about something, it's done. No changing her mind. I should know," he answers quietly.

Cate watches her husband intently. She knows that he was heartbroken over Julia's refusal to marry him, but she had hoped he had finally come to terms with it. She shakes her head, refocusing on the chicken in her hands.

"I think we should have everyone over to dinner sometime soon. Maybe if they see that you are a decent man, with a fantastic wife, then they might let up on Julia."

There is silence for a few moments before Ryan comes up behind her, throwing his arms around her waist and squeezing tightly. "You're amazing, do you know that?" he says, kissing her on the neck.

"Oh I'm very aware of it, I just like to remind you every once in a while."

"Are you sure you want to have everyone over? You've never met her parents, and they aren't the nicest people in the world."

"Well we will just have to show them that the Cassidy/Thomas household is a fantastic place for their grandchild. You're already a step-father after all, so they should have more faith in you. We will charm the pants off them," she beams.

Lux and Baze drive over the Oregon border. He's excited to get back to his live in Portland, but he's not so sure that his daughter feels the same way. Things were difficult for her before they left, and now she's heading back to that.

"Are you all right? I know you'll be walking back into some difficulties."

"That's putting it nicely. I can't say I'm looking forward to seeing Jones. And I really don't want to go back to school again," she says sadly. She has loved being away. Not only has it granted her precious alone time with her Father, but it has also given her precious time away from her troubles.

"It'll be all right. Time always calms things down, so perhaps the situation will be a little easier between you and Jones?"

"I doubt it. He has made it pretty clear that he doesn't want anything to do with me. That's his choice, and I'll have to let him have his peace."

Lux turns to look out the window, giving her Father every indication that she wants to be alone with her thoughts. She will have to psych herself up to return to Portland.

Math opens the door to Alice's home with great difficulty. It's hard to do it with a massive, heavy box in his hands. Alice bounds up the hallway, grabbing the other side of the box, holding it steady as he closes the door.

"I didn't know you had so much stuff! How did you manage to fit all of this into your little bedroom at Baze's?" she asks.

"I spread my things around the loft," he smiles, remembering Baze and Jamie continually telling him to corral his things into one location. He will have to be a lot better behaved now that he is living with Alice.

He sets his boxes down outside their bedroom before heading back outside to grab his last case. When he re-enters the home, he can't help but grin at Alice as she tries to haul the box into the bedroom.

"Careful, you. I don't want you to hurt yourself," he says, putting the case down to kiss her.

"Are you still happy about moving in with me?" she asks nervously.

"Absolutely. I can't wait to be your roomie!" he beams.

They fall into one another's arms, happy to be at this stage in their relationship, and in their lives. Math never thought he would ever get to this level. Baze and Jamie have always been the ladies men in his group of friends. He was generally left in the background, watching his two friends meet woman after woman. Now, he was the one in a stable, long term relationship, and he couldn't be happier. He did hope, however, that both Baze and Jamie would one day soon find their own Alice.

"Come on, let's get your stuff unpacked. Then, I think we will deserve a large pizza and some wine," he says, beaming. He hasn't been able to stop smiling since Alice asked him to move in with her, and he didn't see that coming to an end anytime soon.


	54. Chapter 54

Baze pulls up outside Cate's house, surprised, though relieved when Cate and Ryan don't come bounding out of the house like bullets from a gun. This allows him a little more time alone with his daughter.

"Are you going to be all right?" he asks, concerned for his daughter's well-being. They really bonded during their time away, and he has a much better idea of how she feels about life; and the situation with Jones in particular.

Lux turns to her Father, a big, sincere smile on her face. After crossing over the Portland border, she had a fairly stern discussion with herself. She was fed up with feeling sorry for herself because of the break-up of her relationship with Jones. Life was for the living, and it was about time she got back to enjoying it. She has all the important people in her life that she will ever need: Cate, Baze, Ryan, and the best friend that any girl could wish for, Tasha. Anyone else will just be an extra, not an essential.

"I'm going to be fine. Thank you so much for taking me away. It's been fantastic, I've loved every minute of it!" she says, leaning forward and kissing him warmly on the cheek. She climbs out of the car just as Cate bounces out of the house, quickly followed by Ryan.

Lux doesn't have the chance to say a word before Cate grabs hold of her and unleashes a wave of hugs and kisses. She knows her mother is enthusiastic, but this is ridiculous.

"Cate, calm down. You would think I've been away for months!"

"I know, but it feels like it. Are you all right? Did you both have a good time?" she asks, bending down to wave to Baze through the window before he climbs out of the jeep.

"Good to see you Lux," says Ryan, coming up behind his wife and smiling at her.

"Thanks Ryan, good to be back. How about we head inside? I need coffee!" she says, waving goodbye to her father before putting her arm around her mother and practically leading her into the house to avoid any more of this. Ryan stays behind to grab her bags.

"How did it all go?" asks Ryan.

"Really well. We bonded. How have things been here?" he asks, handing her bags to Ryan. She managed to bring home practically the same amount that she brought with her, which surprises Ryan. After being with Cate for a long time, he's used to unpacking at least twice the amount taken. She really was a lot more focused on her alone time with her father than shopping.

"Things have been good. A bit trying in some ways, but all right."

"That doesn't sound good?"

Ryan doesn't know how to answer. How can he explain everything that has happened in the space of a couple of minutes? This is not a short chat type of subject.

"No, a lot of it isn't."

"Then you should come over to the loft sometime soon. By the sounds of it, you need a beer. Or three."

Ryan hadn't even thought of something like that.

"Yeah, that would be fantastic. We haven't had a guy's night in a while."

"Yeah, and hopefully this one won't be as eventful as the last one. Give me a ring tomorrow, and we can work out something."

After saying goodbye to Baze, Ryan runs back into the house, putting her bags inside Lux's bedroom in the loft before returning downstairs to find his wife and step-daughter sitting in the kitchen, a mug of coffee in front of them, and an extra one for him.

"So, what are we talking about?" he asks.

"Cate has told me everything inside the space of five minutes. Is Auntie Paige going to be all right?"

Ryan sighs heavily. It upsets him to even think about the mess Paige has brought onto herself and their family, but Lux is a part of that family, and deserves to know everything that is happening.

"I'm not sure. My parents have organised a lawyer who seems to know what she's doing, so hopefully she can make this go away quickly."

"How is Auntie Paige coping with it all?"

Ryan smiles at Lux. He's so proud of her and everything she has accomplished throughout her difficult life. And even after everything, she is still concerned enough to check up on his troublesome sister.

"She seems to be handling it well. Paige never shows her emotions well, preferring to take off when things get real, but I think she's doing all right. How did everything go with Baze?"

A smile spreads across Lux's face. Things did become a little intense with her father, considering some of the issues they discussed, but she's glad they went over the things they did, and she feels a lot closer to him now. But, that said, she doesn't want to share all of that with Cate and Ryan. She wants to keep some things between herself and Baze.

"Things went really well. We had a great time," she beams.

Cate is going to ask more questions but Ryan reaches out, putting his hand over hers. She looks at her husband, wondering why he's stopping her, but he immediately changes the subject a little.

"Where did you head to on your trip?"

"We went down to California, we spent time in little towns, at the beach, we went to the zoo. . . . it was just amazing. I'm so glad I went. Have you heard from Tasha?"

Cate and Ryan smile at one another. Cate is itching to tell Lux about Tasha talking with Jones, but she doesn't want to take the joy of that from Tasha. She's the one who did the work, Tasha should be the one to tell her the good news.

"Tasha is doing really well. She was decorating her apartment, so we haven't seen much of her. I'm sure you have missed one another?" adds Cate.

"Yeah, I really have. We've sent the odd text back and forth. I think I might go over and see her later on," she says, taking a sip of her coffee. "So what else has been happening here? Did you two spend a lot of time together?"

"Not as much as we had hoped, but we are going to head away on a little weekend vacation soon," says Cate, realising for the first time that Lux may hate this idea. She has just returned to town, and now she and Ryan are planning to head off.

"Fantastic. When?"

"We haven't set a date yet, but we won't go if you don't want us to!" says Cate, speaking before thinking about it. She can feel Ryan's eyes beaming through her skin. She looks behind her to find him glaring at her. He clearly doesn't like that idea.

"Don't worry about me. I can stay with Tasha, or Baze. Head off whenever you want to, I'll be just fine."

"Great, I'll get something booked this evening," says Ryan, wanting to get something organised before his wife changes her mind. Even though it was Cate's idea to do this, he knows that she always puts Lux first, as it should be, but that doesn't always mean good things for them as a couple.

"Brilliant. Well, I'll get some food organised. What does everyone want?"

Lux looks over at Cate and Ryan, happy to be back in their little home. She hadn't realised just how much she had missed it.


	55. Chapter 55

"Wait. So Math has moved in with Alice?"

Baze is sitting with Jamie at the bar before opening, unable to believe what he's hearing.

"Yup. She asked him a couple of days ago, and he started moving in later that day. I think he wanted to move in before she changed her mind," answers Jamie, knocking back a beer. He's not very comfortable with change, and this was a lot to take on board in a very short period of time. Now that Baze is back, hopefully things will calm down.

"I never thought that would happen. At least, not this quickly."

"I know, neither did I. But he seems to be very happy. He said he'll come by the bar after school. He has some big meeting to go to after class, so he'll be over after that."

"Fantastic. So, what else has been happening around here? How's business been?" he asks,

putting his businessman head on.

"Business has been fantastic. Good few nights it was standing room only."

"Amazing. The bar has been rolling it in since the grand reopening."

"I know. I never thought that fire would be the answer to all our prayers," adds Jamie incredulously. At the time of the fire, it seemed that everything was going wrong, especially considering Baze had gone into the burning bar, fearing that Lux was inside, and ended up in the hospital as a result. That had all worked out, and now everything was just getting better and better.

Have you seen much of Cate and Ryan since we left?"

Jamie manages to stifle a little laugh. He knows his friend well. He might be telling everyone, and himself, that he is over his infatuation with Cate, but everyone else knows different.

"No, I didn't see either of them. Cate called to speak with Alice one night when she was staying over, but that was as much as I heard from her."

"Yeah, I think things are a little difficult there at the moment. Let's get ready for opening, eh," he says, wishing he hadn't brought up the subject. The time away from Portland has reminded him of how much he truly loves Cate. As much as he would like to convince himself otherwise, he knows he will never get over her. But he has to get over it. Regardless of what he wants, or hopes, Cate is safely ensconced with Ryan, and there is nothing he can do to change that. He has to get back into the dating game. Perhaps that will be the answer he's been looking for.

Lux practically sprints over to Tasha's place. She bangs the door with pure enthusiasm. Not expecting guests, Tasha opens the door with a whoosh, intent on reading the visitor the riot act. In an instant, her face changes from anger to happiness, immediately grabbing Lux and pulling her into a bear hug, practically lifting her off her feet in the process.

"When did you get back?" she asks, unwilling to let her friend go.

"We just got back a few hours ago," she says, gently pushing Tasha into the apartment and closing the door with her foot behind her. "What's been happening with you? You've been busy," she says, looking all around her at the beautifully painted blue walls in the living room. There are boxes and furniture sitting in the middle of the room, the decorating recently being completed.

Tasha finally stands on her own, away from Lux. At the back of her mind is what she had arranged with Jones, but she doesn't want to say too much just yet. She takes her mobile phone from her jeans pocket and starts to text Jones.

"Yeah, I had a bit of help, but I'm really proud of it," she says, tapping furiously on her phone.

"Am I keeping you back from something?" asks Lux, unable to hide her annoyance at Tasha's need to text.

"Sorry, I was just texting someone," she says, returning her phone to her back pocket, a smile spreading across her face. "Things have been fantastic. I've pretty much finished decorating my apartment," she says, showing Lux into the bedroom to show off her handiwork. Lux looks at the beautiful purple walls and the new pictures happily adorning them.

"It looks amazing. Were Cate or Ryan helping you?" she asks.

"No, not them. Do you want something to eat?" she asks, determined to keep Lux around for a while. She has a plan, but it is going to take a while for it all to come together.

Cate is sitting on the couch, trying to read a book. She can't really get into it, as her mind is elsewhere. Ryan comes into room, setting his phone on the table in front of her.

"So, what did they say?" asks Cate, sitting straight up, putting her book down.

"Julia said she had to talk her parents into it, but they have agreed to come over next weekend for dinner. Are you still sure you want to do this? You have no idea how bitter and nasty these people are," he asks, sitting beside his wife.

Cate leans forward and kisses her husband.

"Don't worry about it. I know how you feel about them, but we have to do something to change their minds about you and your relationship with Julia and Matthew. We have to pull out all the stops to convince them that you are a decent person, and that we have a good set up here. I'll tell Lux in the morning, and get her to put on her best daughter hat."

"You are just amazing!" he beams.

"I know, you're a very lucky man," she jokes. "Now, we head away this weekend, get all relaxed and chilled out, and we'll both be ready to take on whatever they throw our way next weekend."

Ryan smiles, trying to put on a brave face, but he can't hide his nervousness from his wife.

"Ryan, this will be all right. Just try to relax and enjoy it.


	56. Chapter 56

Lux and Tasha catch up over a mug of coffee and some chocolate muffins. They are enjoying the catch up so much, they almost leaps out of their skin when the doorbell chimes throughout the apartment.

"Are you expecting company?" asks Lux, a little upset at the prospect. She had been looking forward to catching up with her friend alone. Tasha doesn't have too many visitors at her apartment, preferring to keep it for close friends. For other people, she tends to head out to the local coffee shop to catch up.

"It's someone for you," smiles Tasha, opening the door.

Lux's heart falls to her feet when she finds Jones standing at the door. He looks a little apprehensive, not sure what to do or say. Instead of making her feel uncomfortable, it just reminds her that she has always loved it when he gets shy. At school he has always been seen as the strong, determined jock who is loved by one and all. When he is like this, it reminds her that he is just a mere mortal.

"Jones," are the only words she can force from her mouth.

"Hey, how are you?" he asks, anxiously looking over to Tasha. She smiles at him, standing back to allow him to enter the apartment. Lux notices the little exchange between her friend and ex-boyfriend and her heart instantly starts to pound through her ribcage.

"What's going on?" asks Lux, to no one in particular.

"Ok, here's the thing. You two need to wake up and smell the latte. It's ridiculous that you aren't together, and I want you to sit down and work it out. Right now!" says Tasha, pushing the two onto the couch.

Lux doesn't know how she feels. On one hand, she's thankful for having a friend who cares so much about her, but she also doesn't like being bombarded with this. It should be her decision if, and when she talks to Jones.

Lux and Jones stare at one another, neither knowing what to say or do to start this off.

"All right, enough of this. Sort it out," says Tasha. She stands to the side of the couch, her arms folded in front of her, tapping her fingers.

Lux sighs heavily. This is undoubtedly going to be a nightmare, but they are both here now, so she may as well give it a go. But where does she start?

"So, how have you been?" asks Lux

"Seriously? That's what you want to talk about?" storms Jones, his former shy self taking leave.

"Well, no, not really. But I don't know what to do. This was all thrown at me, and I don't know what anyone expects me to say."

"I know. I thought I would know exactly what to say when I came face to face with you again, but I can't think of a single word today," he says, his adorable little smile popping onto his face. Lux doesn't know how he does it, or even if he's aware of it, but that little smile makes her heart beat a little faster.

Lux looks behind her at a finger tapping Tasha.

"Um, could we have some coffee?" she asks politely, putting on her best and brightest smile.

"Absolutely," says Tasha, bounding off to the kitchen.

When she's out of sight, Lux grabs Jones' hand and pulls him out of the apartment, closing the door lightly behind her.

"What are you doing?" asks Jones.

"I know we need to work this out, but that can't happen with Tasha breathing down her necks. I know she's only looking out for us, but I can't do it," she replies, her mind running at a hundred miles a minute. She is trying to think of somewhere quiet nearby that they can go to. Suddenly, it hits her.

"Come on, I know just the place."

Lux leads Jones to a little café a few blocks away. It's a little off the map, and so it's really only used by locals, and therefore tends to be quiet. They find themselves a nice table at the back of the café, order something to drink, and sit and stare at one another for a few moments before Jones breaks the uncomfortable silence.

"All right, I know this isn't ideal, but we need to talk everything over. Besides, I don't think Tasha will ever talk to either of us again if we don't come back with a result," he says, only half-jokingly. Lux lets out a little chuckle. That pretty much sums it up.

"Ok. So, do you still feel the same way about the whole Bug issue?" she asks tentatively. She feels strange even saying her ex-boyfriend's name.

The scowl on Jones' face says it all.

"So that would be a yes then?" she asks.

"Did you really think I would get over it quickly?" he asks, aghast at the mere notion of it.

"No, I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I had hoped that time would heal things a little."

Jones takes a sip of coffee, taking the few seconds to think over his response.

"I guess time apart has helped a little, but I am still angry that you kept something like that from me."

"I understand that, I know I did the wrong thing. If I could do it again, believe me, I would have told you everything that was happening. But I would like us to get back to where we were. We were happy once, do you remember?" she asks, smiling at the memories.

Jones' handsome face is splashed with a massive grin.

"Yeah. Do you remember the time we skipped school and went to the movies? That was one of the best times."

"I loved that day. We ate our body weight in popcorn," she laughs, her smile widening when Jones laughs along with her. "I've missed this, Jones. I miss spending time with you. What can we do to get back to where we were?" she asks hopefully.

Jones becomes very serious, the smile dropping from his face.

"I don't know that we can go back. Maybe we should just leave the past in the past and try to move on from here?"

Lux nods her head a little, taking in this new idea.

"That could work. Like hitting a reset button? Do you think it will work?"

"I'm not sure, but I would like to try. I miss you as well," he says, leaning forward and planting a gentle kiss on her lips. Lux can barely contain her excitement. This is so much better than she ever anticipated.

"All right, so when can we go on our first official date?" she asks, wanting to get it set in concrete before he can change his mind.

"How about next Friday? It's my mom's birthday this weekend, and we're having a big party. There's a new restaurant in town that I want to take you to. I think you'll like it," he beams.

She's a little taken aback that he hasn't invited her to the party, but she accepts that they have to take this easily and slowly.

"All right. It's a date."


	57. Chapter 57

"That's fantastic. So I'm going to have the house to myself for the weekend?" beams Lux. She already knows the answer is a resounding 'no', but she likes the happy thoughts in her head, even if they only last for a matter of moments.

"Eh, no, you'll be staying with Baze. And then, next Saturday, we have a big dinner coming up. Julia and her parents are coming over, so we need everything to go smoothly," says Cate, pouring herself a glass of wine. Ryan has gone over to spend some time with Matthew, so the two women have the house to themselves for the evening.

"No problem. I actually have some news for you as well," says Lux. She's not sure how she managed to keep it under wraps for the whole ten minutes she has been home.

Cate, however, has pushed the panic button. "What is it? What's going on? Is everything all right?"

Lux can only smile. "Cate, you really need to chill out. Not all news is bad," says Lux, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. "I met up with Jones, and we're going to give it another go," she says, unable to hide her happiness any longer. She leaps off her seat, dashing right to her mother who meets her half way, throwing their arms around one another.

"That's fantastic. I'm so happy for the two of you. How did it happen?"

"Tasha organised it all, actually. I have to thank her later on," she says, remembering that she hasn't talked to her dearest friend since she and Jones left her apartment. She has several missed calls from Tasha, and she really needs to get back to her, and soon.

Cate smiles, giving away the fact that this part isn't news to her.

"Tasha told you that she was going to get the two of us together, huh?"

Cate can only nod.

Lux opens her mouth to protest her mother's failure to tell her about it, but considering it all came out beautifully, she decides against it.

"So when's the first date?"

"Next Friday. It would have been this weekend, but his family have a big event coming up."

"And you're upset he didn't invite you along?" asks Cate.

Lux looks at her mother as she takes another gulp from her glass of orange juice. She's not sure how she feels about Cate being able to read her so easily. On one hand, it's nice that her mother knows her so well. But on the other hand, it's a new experience for her. The only person who knows her so well is Tasha. Even Bug was fairly familiar with the way her brain worked, but Tasha definitely knows how to read her thoughts and emotions.

"A little. I know we have to move slowly since we're starting again, but it would have been nice to meet his family. I never got the chance to before. We talked about it, but everything ended before we could organise anything."

Cate looks over at her daughter in wonderment. This is not the same girl she met almost a year ago. Her brain piques to attention. That means her seventeenth birthday is coming up. She is going to have to organise something special. Her sixteenth was memorable as it was the first time they were all together: Cate, Lux, Baze and Ryan. And their extended family as well, namely Math and Jamie.

Cate can't help but wonder what her life would have been like if Lux hadn't come into it. She can't believe how glad she is that her daughter found her. Things have been difficult, and in some ways traumatic and distressing, but she wouldn't swap the life she has now for anything.

"Lux you just need to give it time. The two of you are starting over again, and you need to give yourselves the chance to get back to where you where before everything went wrong."

Her daughter smiles, agreeing with her.

"Thanks Cate," she says, hugging her tightly, managing to catch her off guard. Lux has never been a very huggy person, and so this is a new development, and one that Cate hopes is going to stay around.

"Well, go and get washed up, and I'll order something to eat. Pizza sound good?"

"Perfect," heading into the bathroom, making a mental note to call Tasha after dinner.

Baze and Jamie are behind the bar when Math walks in. After warm 'welcome back' hugs, the three of them head up to the loft, leaving the bar in the safe hands of their new employee, a barman named Noel. He has only just started at the bar, after being hired before Baze went on the road trip with Lux, and so far, everything was working out perfectly. Things had started out slowly that evening with only a couple of patrons so far, so after telling Noel to shout if things got busy, they head up.

"So, how was the road trip?"

"It was amazing. It was exactly what we needed. And, I just got a call from Lux. She and Jones have worked things out, and they're going to give their relationship another go. Isn't that fantastic?" beams Baze. He's genuinely happy for his daughter. He knows himself how devastated and hurt she was by the ending of their relationship.

"That's great. Do you think they can make it work this time?"

"I hope so. They are good together. And Bug is out of their way this time, so I'm hoping nothing else will get in their way. And Jamie told me your news. I'm really happy for you buddy," he smiles, slapping Math on the back as they crash down on his couch, three mugs of coffee sitting in front of them.

Math beams just at the mere mention of his girlfriend and their new living arrangement.

"I am so happy guys, I can't explain it," he says. He knows the guys will probably find some way to tease him for this, but he's so happy it's a risk worth taking.

"What about her husband, Jeff? Is he still making a nuisance of himself?" asks Baze, reaching for his mug of coffee.

"No, he's been behaving himself. I think he's bored of being turned down. Hopefully we won't have to see him again, ever!"

"Has anything else been happening since I've been away?" asks Baze. He notices a little look between his two friends. "What's going on?"

"We have a little bit of news for you. We have set you up on a blind date!" beams Jamie. He's so excited and anxious to see his good friend hitting the dating scene again. Baze has said that he has the intention of dating again, but saying it, and doing it, and two different things.

Baze, however, isn't happy about this. Not one iota!

"Forget it!" he says strongly.

"Come on, Baze, you said yourself that you need to get back to dating. The sooner you find someone to have some fun with, the sooner you can get over your Cate fixation," storms Jamie. He's only trying to help his friend out, and he believes in his heart that this is the best way to get back the man he used to be. He misses the Baze who was just like him, one night stands most nights, beer pong opponent, always looking for the fun in life.

Baze looks at Math. "And you think this is the best thing too?"

"I think you need to get back to dating again, and you need to get over Cate, once and for all. I just want you to be happy, and this is step one on getting you there."

Baze nods his head at Maths' words. He knows he will always get an honest answer from him. He has his silly, reckless moments, but he is essentially a good, responsible man, who wants the same things out of life as himself. Jamie, on the other hand, amazing as he is, his goal in life is to have as much fun as possible, to sleep with all the women he can, and die happy. That used to be Baze's life plan, but since Lux came into his life, those plans have gone right out the window, and he doesn't want them back. He wants what Math has now with Alice. And perhaps they are right, in their own ways. He won't find the woman of his dreams by sitting in the loft playing video games. He has to get out there, meet different women and find the right one for him.

He takes a deep breath, silently hoping that Math approved this woman rather than Jamie, because that is just a scary thought.

"All right, I'll do it. But on one condition. I meet her here for drinks first. Then at least if it doesn't start well then I can get out of it," he says, waiting for both men to nod their heads in agreement before rising to his feet and pouring himself another mug of coffee.


	58. Chapter 58

Things moved quickly over the next few days. Before Cate and Ryan knew it, they were heading away on their stay-cation, and Lux was staying with her father for a few days. Lux and Baze couldn't wait to spend some more time together. It wouldn't be long before she headed back to school for her penultimate year in high school, and they both realised they wouldn't have as much opportunity to spend time together.

With Lux safely ensconced at the loft, Cate and Ryan dash around the house, getting everything packed. Ryan is sorted out and packed inside half an hour, but Cate can't decide which outfits to pack, and goes through her closet numerous times, trying to pick.

"Cate, come on. We're going to be away for two nights, and I don't know about you, but I'm not planning on spending much time outside the room," he grins, watching her push and pull her clothes around the closet railing.

She throws a couple of tops onto the floor in frustration. She hates choosing clothes, and being rushed even more so.

"All right, I'm taking these three tops, these jeans, and that's it," she says, folding the clothes into her little holdall, and following her husband out of the bedroom.

"Away we go!" cheers Cate. She's looking forward to this weekend. Alone time with her husband sounded just about perfect to her.

Ryan opens the door to the hotel room. He had told the receptionist that they were having a second honeymoon, and so she bumped them up to the honeymoon suite. Cate's chin smacks the floor when she sees the room. It is decorated in clean white, with simple paintings hanging on the walls. There is a small living room just inside the door, where there sits a small table. On top of this rests a tray with a bucket of ice, a bottle of champagne, two champagne flutes and a bowl of strawberries.

Cate grabs one of the strawberries while they explore the room. Adjoining the living room is a fairly large bedroom. The main piece of furniture in the bedroom is a four poster bed, which Cate immediately leaps onto. She's quickly joined by Ryan, who practically makes Cate bounce off the bed in the process.

"So, this is pretty great, huh?" beams Ryan, helping settle his wife back onto the bed.

"It's fantastic! This is just incredible. Very glad we got the honeymoon suite. So, what do you want to do first?" she asks, but she already knows the answer. She falls into her husband's arms.

"Let the honeymoon begin!"

"You're cheating!"

Lux and Baze are playing the newest Grand Theft Auto – partly because they both enjoy the game, but also because there is a party happening in the bar below them, and they need something to distract them from the noise.

"I am not; you're just not very good at this game. You can't be good at everything," he beams. He knows she's a great gamer, but he loves to tease her on her technique. Her love of gaming emerged after they came into one another's lives. He has been a manic fan of most games for years, and he was more than happy to share that with his daughter. In all honesty, he never thought she would take to it, but she has. In some games, she even manages to beat him.

After thoroughly beating her, Baze orders them a celebratory pizza. One of his favourite inventions is the half and half pizza. Lux doesn't eat meat, but he will never be able to give up his love of pepperoni pizza, and thankfully his daughter doesn't expect him to. He has his pepperoni half, she has her vegetarian half, and all is right with the world.

"So, I'm sure you're counting down to the first date with Jones? It's next weekend, isn't it?" asks Baze, sinking his teeth into a slice of pizza.

"Yeah," she says, without much enthusiasm.

"That doesn't sound good. You two haven't had a fight already, have you?"

Lux lets out a little chuckle.

"No, it's nothing like that. I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

"I thought you were happy to be back with Jones again?" he asks, concerned.

"I am, and I want to be with him. It's just that with everything that happened before with Bug, I'm just worried that something might happen to break us up again. What if we aren't meant to be together?" she asks, scaring herself a little with the words coming out of her mouth. She knew she was worried, but she had never said these words before, not even to herself.

Baze puts down his pizza, turning to face his daughter, who is taking a big gulp of her juice.

"Lux you can't be worried about what might or might not happen. You just have to try to relax, and enjoy being together again."

Baze has surprised himself with his comments. He never knew he could be so sensitive. And he isn't alone with that sentiment, as Lux looks as stunned as he is.

Suddenly, the loft door swings open, and in bounds Jamie.

"Baze, I'm really sorry, but is there any chance you could give us a hand? Noel and I can't keep up with customers!"

Baze huffs a little about his daughter/father time being interrupted, but when he sees Lux smiling at him warmly, he knows he's ok to go.

"Ok. You get to decide what we do next. Pick another game, or a movie to watch, and I'll be back as fast as I can," he says, leaning forward and kissing her quickly on the forehead before chasing after Jamie.

Lux grabs a slice of pizza and heads over to explore her father's game and dvd selection. There isn't much to choose from. There are a couple of chick flick movies, which she assumes belong to an ex-girlfriend or three. The rest are comedies or action movies. She is tempted to pick a chick flick. Even though she hates them as much as her father, she loves the idea of laughing at him as tries his best to enjoy her choice of movie.

She's just about to reach for a comedy when she hears her cell phone ringing in her bag. Usually, she wouldn't answer when she's spending time with her father, but since he's downstairs she decides to make an exception. She's glad she did when she finds Jones name flashing on the screen.

"Jones. Is everything all right?"

"No. Is there any chance I could meet you somewhere? I really need someone to talk to you," he says, his voice filled with desperation.

"Um, sure. Why don't you come over to Baze's bar? He's downstairs working, but I'm sure he'll let us be alone for a while."

"There's silence on the other end of the phone for a few moments, making Lux think she should have suggested meeting somewhere else, but then she hears him agreeing to be there as soon as he can.

Just then, Baze returns to the loft.

"Is everything all right down there?" she asks, slowly putting her phone back into her bag. She doesn't like the sound of that telephone call at all, and she's very scared of what he's going to tell her.

"Yeah, everything's fine now. Everyone in Portland decided to hit the bar at the same time, but it's sorted now. Did you pick something to do?"

"No, not exactly. Jones is coming over. I think something has happened. He said he needs to talk."

"Is everything all right?"

"I don't know, but his voice was strange. I think it's something bad."

"Do you want me to stay here with you?"

Lux appreciates her dads concern for the two of them, but she knows Jones well enough to realise that he won't feel free to discuss what's going on if Baze is sitting there listening to them.

"No, it's all right. I think it'll be better if we're alone for a while. Is that all right?" she asks, worried that she has upset Baze by abandoning their plans, but she can't help it.

"It's fine, I'll head down to the bar and give the two of you some time alone. Shout if you need me, all right?"

The two of them smile warmly at one another before he heads back downstairs.

Lux puts on another pot of coffee and waits for Jones to arrive. The butterflies in her stomach are fluttering insanely, and she hopes this isn't as bad as she's imaging it to be.


	59. Chapter 59

Ryan and Cate were having the time of their lives on their stay-cation. With everything that had been going on in their lives, both together and separately, they weren't getting the alone time they needed, and craved. Every time they planned some time on their own, something else cropped up that would take one of them away.

They made each other a promise before they left on their stay-cation that they wouldn't discuss anything in their real lives. This time was for them, and them alone. Julia, Matthew, Lux and Baze would have to wait until they got back home.

Over dinner in their rooms, they discuss their plans and hopes for the future. They are both surprised to realise that they have never had this discussion before. Then again, they didn't discuss whether or not to have children, and that got them both into a lot of trouble.

"So, ten years time, what are we doing? Where are we?" asks Cate, diving into a plate of pasta.

Ryan explodes with laughter.

"I thought I was the one who liked to plan everything out in advance?"

Cate shrugs her shoulders. He's definitely having an influence on the way she does things. Sometimes it's for the good, sometimes for the bad. She thinks this might be for the good, but she doesn't really want to admit that to him.

"All right. In ten years I want us to have a house at the beach, somewhere Lux and Matthew can come and stay. I want to be working at a nationwide radio station, based in Portland. I want to see a lot more of the world than I have seen, and I want to be happy and content with my life."

Cate's eyes are bulging at his words.

"You've given this some serious thought, haven't you?"

"I had some plans before I found out that Matthew was on his way. With his birth, things changed. I had to think about the future more realistically."

"What did you want to accomplish before you found out about Matthew?"

Ryan sighs heavily. She knows there is a part of him that wishes he could do all the things he had once dreamed off. It was normal, and to be expected. She had to admire him for being ready to put them aside and move his life onto another route.

"I wanted to try working on a radio station in another part of the world. I'd been playing with the idea of moving to Australia. Not permanently, I don't think, but it would have been an amazing opportunity."

"Sounds amazing. I'd thought about something like that as well, but when Lux was older. Maybe settled in college?"

"Oh yeah, I wouldn't have considered it while she was still in high school. What were your plans?"

"Similar to yours. Wanted to travel the world, work in some other stations. But lately I have been thinking about adoption," she says, almost as an afterthought. Even though she has been thinking about this since suffering from her miscarriage, but she had never mentioned it to Ryan. She had secretly hoped that he had been thinking the same thing, and would be elated. Matthew put a temporary hold on those plans, but now that things were settling down a little on that matter, she was thinking about it again.

However, it was clear that this was a brand new thought process to Ryan.

"You haven't considered having a baby with me?" she asks, already answering the question in her head, but hoping that she's wrong.

Ryan puts down the fork in his hand. He needs to give all his focus to his wife, and to the answer he will have to come up with.

"To be honest, I haven't thought about it since the miscarriage. I went straight from grieving for our baby to focusing on the baby with Julia. I know you were going through a lot more than me, but I didn't have a chance to think about a new baby with you."

"And now?"

"I really don't know. I need to give it some thought," he says quietly. He knows his words will upset his wife, but he has to be honest with her.

Cate's eyes fall to the plate of pasta in front of her.

"That's not what you wanted to hear?"

"No, it really wasn't. But we have time to think about it. Things are getting better on the home front with Lux and Baze, and Julia and Matthew, so we can think about it."

Ryan smiles at his wife, relieved that she took it a lot better than he expected.

"I do have one big plan that I think should be a lot easier to accomplish," he adds.

"Which is?" she asks, her curiosity piqued.

"We still need to go away on a proper honeymoon. We only got as far as Las Vegas after the wedding, and promised ourselves we would head away somewhere exotic when we got the chance. With everything that has gone on over the past few months, we never got the opportunity to get away. Like you said, things are calming down now, so we need to do something about that, don't you think?" he says, beaming at the thought of it.

Cate climbs to her feet, slipping onto her husband's lap and kissing him passionately.

"You're awesome!" she manages to say.

Lux is pacing up and down the loft. She's glad she's in her socks, otherwise she might disturb the bar patrons downstairs. She grabs a magazine and tries to read an article about what is happening in Portland over the next month, but she can't focus on it.

"Hey Lux."

She turns her head in fright, finding a weary Jones standing just inside the door. He looks absolutely wretched. Lux runs right to him, throwing her arms around him. She has never seen him this destroyed looking, and it's scaring her.

"What is it? What's going on?" she asks, leading him over to the couch.

"It's my mum. She had a bad attack of her bipolar, and she's in hospital. I just. . . I don't know what to do."

Lux gives him a massive hug. She doesn't know much about bipolar disorder, but she did read up on it a little when she found out that his mother suffers from it. From what she read, she knows that sufferers go through a menagerie of emotions, and depression can be one of them.

"What happened?" she asks gingerly. She doesn't want him to tell her anything he isn't prepared to discuss, but she wants to do whatever she can to help him.

"She tried to kill herself. She swallowed a lot of pills. Thankfully, my dad was home and found her, but it was a close call, Lux. I could have lost her," he says, desperately trying to fight back tears.

Lux pulls her towards him, resting his head on her chest.

"Everything will be all right, Jones. It will all work out," she says, slowly stroking his hair.


	60. Chapter 60

Lux wakes up to find herself on the couch in Baze's apartment. She looks down to find a sleeping Jones with his head balanced on her chest. She doesn't want to disturb him, but she desperately needs the bathroom. Gingerly, and slowly, she lifts his head and crawls out from under him. She grabs one of the cushions from the couch and places it under his head before resting his head on it.

Making a pot of coffee and throwing some bagels into the toaster, she looks over at the slumbering Jones. He looks so peaceful and comfortable sleeping on the couch.

The door to Jamie's bedroom opens, and out he comes with his latest conquest: a pretty, tall dark haired woman who is hanging on his every word. The second he lays eyes on Lux, embarrassment flows over him. He loves his ability for picking up women easily, but he doesn't like to flaunt it in front of impressionable teenagers.

"Oh, good morning Lux. This is, um. . . "

"Bridget," answers the woman. She is so enraptured by Jamie she doesn't even mind him forgetting her name.

"Come on downstairs and I'll show you out," he says, practically pulling Bridget out the door.

As Lux pours herself a mug of coffee, her father puts in an appearance. Clearly, a good time was had by all at the bar last night, as he looks very rough. She wonders who drank more alcohol: the bar patrons or the bartenders?

"Good morning, sunshine!" she says, beaming. As much as she doesn't like seeing her father like this, she enjoys making him suffer for it.

"You are far too cheery for this time in the morning. And on a Saturday as well," he says, his eyes falling on the still sleeping Jones. He had forgotten that he was there.

"What happened last night? Is everything all right with Jones?" he asks, happily taking a well needed mug of coffee from his daughter. They sit on the little stools at the kitchen worktop. Lux doesn't want to disturb Jones. He's sleeping soundly, and after everything he's been through, she doesn't want to wake him before he's ready.

"No, things aren't all right. He was a mess, Baze, I didn't know what to do to help him," she says, her eyes trained on the mug of coffee in front of him. Even though she didn't know what to do for the best, she wishes she had done more.

"What's going on?" asks Baze, very concerned.

"His mother tried to kill herself yesterday. Thankfully she was found in time, so she's going to be all right, but it was a close call," she says, her eyes finally rising to meet her father's. The despair of this news is showing all over Baze's face. He has never met Jones' parents, but he can emphasise on how devastating it would be to lose a parent, especially under those circumstances.

"Jones much be devastated?" he asks, putting his hand on his daughter's shoulder. He knows how much she loves Jones, and how she must be feeling toward this development.

"He's heartbroken. I didn't know what to do or say, other than 'I'm so sorry'. I wish I had done more," she says sadly, looking behind her at her boyfriend.

"I don't think you needed to say anything at all. He just wanted to have someone with him, someone to keep him company."

Lux smiles at her father. She's so glad they are here with him.

"Lux?"

Jones is sitting up behind them, immediately throwing his head into his hands in an effort to wake himself up. "What happened? Why am I at your dad's place?" he asks, before his memory comes back to him. "Oh yeah, I remember."

"How are you feeling this morning?" asks Lux, moving around to the other side of the bench to pour him some coffee.

"I'm so tired. I could do with another few hours of sleep," he says, smiling as he takes the mug of piping hot coffee from his girlfriend.

"I'm so sorry to hear about your mother," says Baze, patting him on the shoulder.

This entire experience is brand new to Jones, and he doesn't know what to say or do when someone expresses their sympathies. He merely smiles at Baze.

"Thanks. I had better get home soon and find out what's going on."

"No problem. But let me know what's happening, all right?" says Lux.

"I will, I promise. I think they're going to keep her in hospital for a few days, and then organise some psychiatric help."

"Well that's great. Maybe that will do the trick?" beams Lux, trying to look on the bright side of things.

Jones' face stays deadpan. "I don't think it will be that easy, but I hope she gets the help she needs."

The three of them catch up while finishing off their coffees, and then Jones heads home.

"He seems to be handling it well," comments Baze as they clean up.

"He does, but I don't think it has really hit him yet."

"At least he has people like you in his life. He knows he can depend on you," says Baze, feeling very proud of his daughter, and the young woman she is becoming.

Cate and Ryan are spending their Saturday enjoying the spa at the hotel. Cate had never fancied the idea of having total strangers fussing over her, but now that she had signed up for it, she understood why Ryan was always raving about it.

After dinner, they hang out in their room, reminiscing about their time at Z-Roc, the radio station where they met. Cate was the production assistant, whereas Ryan was the star of the morning show. The producer who was in charge of the show was quite a character. His name was Sam, and he was convinced he was the funniest man on the planet. He was also under the assumption that he could have any woman he wanted, and he had taken quite a shine to Cate.

"Do you remember when Sam bought you a huge bunch of flowers that made you sneeze for the rest of the day? You looked like you'd been crying for a week," laughs Ryan, his mind going back to his wife appearing beside him in the booth, her nose red from sneezing, her eyes resembling someone who hadn't slept in days.

"That was terrible. He didn't know I suffer from hayfever in the summer time, and he really thought he was doing a nice thing for me," she says, feeling more embarrassed for Sam than thinking it's funny.

Ryan, on the other hand, just sees it as side splittingly funny. "He couldn't understand why you looked so wretched at the end of the day. He thought you were sick."

"That's awful. What about the time the new receptionist had the hots for you, and managed to spill a hot cup of coffee on your lap because she couldn't take her eyes off you?"

That makes Ryan stop laughing. He'd forgotten about that.

"Oh yeah. What was her name?"

"Um," begins Cate, racking her brain for the answer, but it's gone. "I can't remember. That's awful. It'll come to me," she replies, knowing that it probably will. Her memory may be sketchy at times, but the answers always come to her eventually.

"Did you meet Julia when you were working at Z-Roc?" she asks. The two of them have never really talked about Ryan's relationship with Julia. All she knows is that they had been together for three years when he proposed. She said no, and he moved out of the house they were sharing.

Ryan takes a big swig of wine.

"Do you really want to get into that?" he asks. She can be very jealous, and he's not sure she wants to hear about their relationship. But then, she has come a long way since Matthew has been born.

"Yes, I'll be fine. You've never told me much about your relationship, and I was curious."

Ryan simply nods his head. "All right, I'll tell you about me and Julia, but on one condition. You have to tell me about your high school years with Baze."

Cate almost knocks over the wine glass in her hand.

"Why do you want to know about that?"

"I just remember the hostility between the two of you when Lux first brought the two of you together again, and I have always wondered if that was just down to the way he treated you after your one night stand, or if there was more to it than that."

Cate takes a deep breath. There's really no way out of this. She wants to know about Ryan and Julia, and this seems to be the only way that was going to happen.

"All right, I'll tell you everything. But, you first," she says, raising her glass to her husband and making herself comfortable on the couch beside him. This was going to be one heck of a story.


	61. Chapter 61

"Where do you want me to start?" asks Ryan. He's not looking forward to this discussion at all, but he's going to be as honest as he can.

"Where did you and Julia meet?"

Ryan sighs. Here goes nothing.

"We worked together at the radio station. She usually worked as producer of one of the afternoon shows, but the producer of my show left, and so she was transferred to work with me."

"Did the two of you hit it off straight away?" continues Cate.

"I liked her right away, but the feeling wasn't mutual. She thought I was arrogant and selfish."

"Were you?"

"I guess I was, yeah. This was my first real job hosting a morning show, and I think it went to my head a little. I might have been a little too cocky for my own good."

"Did she snap you out of it?"

Ryan laughs. "That she did. She didn't have time for me and my diva-ish ways. She didn't want to rock the boat, so she kept quiet about it at first, but eventually she couldn't do it anymore. She took me out to dinner one night, and told me that I needed to chill out. Apparently I was making waves at the station, and not good waves."

"Did you calm down?"

"Yeah, I did. I really didn't think I was that bad, but evidently I was. I thought that people wanted me to be the bigger than life host, on and off air, but they didn't. I hated the thought that people at the station didn't like me, so I knew I had to change my ways. I calmed down my personality, and worked to turn myself into the man you met."

"Is that when Julia fell in love with you?"

"No, that took a little more time. We started a routine of meeting up for dinner every Friday night to discuss what was happening with the show, and what topics we wanted to discuss the next week. That's when we fell in love. She got to see the real me, and I got to see her in a way that wasn't boss lady. She was a real woman, and I was very attracted to her."

"Did you ask her out during one of those dinners?"

"No, I asked her out after work one day."

"And she said yes?"

"No, she turned me down. I should have seen that as a sign of things to come."

"Did she tell you why?"

"She said it was because employees weren't allowed to fraternise with one another. But I knew it was just an excuse. She was falling for me, but was trying to stop the feelings. She was a real career woman. Relationships weren't in the package for her, and she thought that if she stopped seeing me socially, then that would make everything better."

"So the dinners stopped?"

"No, they didn't stop, she just invited the engineer to go along with us."

"So then how did the two of you get together?"

"Well I had pretty much given up on her. I wasn't happy about it, but she said she wasn't going to change her mind."

"So what changed?"

"I started dating someone else. I'm not proud of it, but the station hired a new intern, and I asked her out during her first week. We didn't hide the relationship from Julia, and it drove her nuts. She kept shouting at me, telling me that I was breaking the rules of the station, and that I was risking my job if I continued dating the intern."

"And you didn't buy it?"

"No, I didn't. I knew she was jealous as hell."

"So when did the two of you actually start dating?"

"It was another couple of weeks. I think I finally wore her down. I showed up to one of our weekly business meetings, expecting the engineer to be there as well, but it was just the two of us. She had arranged for us to have a table in a secluded part of the restaurant. It was so romantic. And that was the start of it all. Before I knew it, we were moving in together."

"And everything was going on well between the two of you?"

"Yeah, everything was going fantastically."

"Did you ever talk about the future?"

"No, we didn't. I just assumed that we were on the same page. It never occurred to me that she didn't want to get married, or have kids."

"She didn't guess that you were going to propose?"

"No, she was stunned. It was a heartbreaking thing to go through. I really thought she would say yes, and I couldn't believe it when she turned me down."

"What happened next?"

"We discussed the future for the first time. I said that I wanted marriage, and kids. I was even looking forward to having a house with a white picket fence. But Julia didn't want that. She liked having her freedom, and the chance to have vacations whenever she wanted. She didn't want to be tied down, and if we stated together, one of us was going to be miserable."

"So you moved out?"

"Yeah. I moved in with my friends for a couple of nights, and then managed to find a place of my own."

"What happened at work? It must have been really strange to see one another every day, even though you weren't together anymore?"

"It was. That's why she decided to look for another job. You started at the station the week after she left, and the rest, as they say, is history."

Cate smiles. She remembers the first time she saw Ryan. He looked so accomplished and happy sitting in the booth, chatting away with his co-host. At the time, she wanted to be doing what he was. It would take her a long time to get there, but she was so happy now that she was where she wanted to be. Now, she had it all. She had the job of her dreams, and the man. Things couldn't be better.

"So, did I answer all your questions?" he asks, hoping her answer will be in the affirmative.

"I have one more question. Did you ever think about Julia after we got together? Ever wonder what might have happened if she had said yes to your proposal?"

Cate isn't sure which answer is going to make her feel better. Ryan and Julia were very deeply involved for a long time, and that can't be an easy thing to shake. But then, she hates the idea of him thinking of his ex-girlfriend while they are together. She takes a deep breath, preparing herself for his answer.

"Truthfully, yes I did, at the start. I couldn't help it. I was very happy with you, and knew you were the woman for me, but there was the thought at the back of my head, wondering what could have happened. But it doesn't matter now, does it? Julia and I have a very different relationship, but we are in one another's lives. And I have the best wife in the world," he says, raising his glass to his wife. "And now, it's your turn. Tell me all about your time with Baze."


	62. Chapter 62

"So, when did you first set eyes on Nathaniel Bazile?"

Cate sighs, the memories flowing back to her. She hasn't thought about this time in her life in a long while, and she can't believe she's discussing it with her husband, but he was honest with her about Julia, and now it's her turn.

"I first met him in high school. I was a bit of a nerd back then. I was heavily involved in the school newspaper, debate club, stuff like that. I wore thick coke bottle glasses, had a small steel factory in my mouth, it wasn't a pretty sight. Baze was the local jock. Everyone loved him, especially the girls. I just thought he was an arrogant, self-involved idiot."

"So what changed your mind?"

"I never did, not really. It was the night of the winter formal. I wasn't going to go. I told everyone it was because it was a stupid, archaic ritual that held no importance. Part of me did believe that, but it was really because I didn't have a date."

"Did you go with Baze?" asks Ryan, confused as to how she could make such a massive change in her plans.

"Oh no, he wouldn't have been seen dead with me. We were in totally different stratospheres in high school, and hanged out in very different circles. I know he thought I was a wimpy girl and not worthy of his attention. His date at the formal was the head cheerleader, a girl named Chelsea. They were the perfect couple, even though everyone knew she was cheating on him with the head of the baseball team."

"She was? Did he ever find out?"

"Yeah, he found out at the winter formal. That's how we ended up together."

"How did that happen?"

"I had been invited to the formal by the lead reporter at the school newspaper, a guy named Christopher. I wasn't attracted to him or anything, but he was a nice guy, and we could spend the time talking about the newspaper, which was my major passion at the time."

"And did the two of you have a good time?"

"Pretty much, yeah. We had been there for a few hours, when I needed some fresh air. Christopher stayed where he was, and I headed out to the car park. There, I found a very distressed Baze. He had just walked in on Chelsea and her other boyfriend, and was stunned. He was the only person in the school who didn't know about it."

"And you walked up to him and started talking to him?"

"Yeah. I had never seen a person that devastated before, and I was a little worried that he was going to do something stupid, so I just wanted to make sure he was all right."

"And that's when everything happened?"

"Yeah. He had some Zima with him, and he gave me some. I rarely touched alcohol so it went straight to my head. Stupid thing to do. He was being really nice to me, which was a new experience for me. I really liked spending time with him, which really surprised me. He kept telling me how pretty I was."

"Do you think he was being genuine?" asks Ryan. He knows the type of guy Baze was in school, and they would say anything to get into a girls pants.

"I like to think so, but who knows. Anyways, he invited me to take a seat in his van. It was getting late, so the temperature was dropping. Innocent as I was, I thought that was a great idea. And then, well, you can guess what happened then," she adds.

Ryan is very relieved when she doesn't go into details about their rendezvous. That would be too much to hear.

"Did you talk to Baze after that night?"

"No. We could barely look one another in the eye at school. He got back together with the cheerleader after she apologised for cheating, and promised him that she would never do something like that again."

"And he believed that?"

"He seemed to, yeah. I think he was just doing it to have something to distract him from what happened between us. We were both very embarrassed about it, and just wanted to forget it ever happened."

"But that didn't last long, huh?"

"No, it really didn't. When I found out I was pregnant, I called him. He didn't want to talk to me, and kept putting me off, but I eventually got him alone at school one day and told him I was pregnant."

"What did he say to that?"

"He thought I was joking at first. When I assured him I wasn't, he decided I was trying to get money out of him. His parents were, and still are, very successful people, and money was no object for them. A fact he loved to laud over others."

"Did he finally realise you were being truthful?"

"Yeah, but not until I showed him a picture from the scan. He told me that he didn't want to be a father, and that I could do whatever I wanted."

"You're kidding? He was that callous about it?" asks Ryan, stunned and shocked. He can't get his head around any man being so uncaring. Baze may not have been his favourite person for a long while, but he never would have expected him to be like that."

"At the time, he wasn't a very nice person. The only things in life that consumed him were football, girls and fun. If he could combine all three, then all the better. Being a father wasn't on his list of things to do."

"So he left you to it?"

"Pretty much, yeah. I didn't want people at school to know I was pregnant, and I didn't really see much of Baze again after showing him the scan photo."

"Did you tell him when the baby was born?"

"Yes. I knew he wasn't interested, but I told him that I had given birth to a baby girl. I wanted to hear his reaction to the news that he was a father before telling him about my decision to give her up for adoption, but he didn't ask. He didn't even want to know if the baby and I were all right."

Anger swells inside Ryan. He could never grasp why Cate was so angry with Baze after Lux came back into their lives. Now he knows, and understands fully.

"I can't believe he would treat you like that. Was that the last time you saw him?"

"No. I would see him around school after Lux was born, but we barely looked at one another. We basically went back to where we had started. The last time I saw him was at graduation. I was a couple behind him in the queue to go up to pick up our diplomas, but we didn't acknowledge one another. The next time I heard from him was when he called into the station to say he needed to speak with me outside."

"Have the two of you discussed what happened since you met again?"

"Only on the night that Lux ran away from the courthouse," she answers quietly, knowing that he will remember that as the night that she and Baze slept together again. Considering this is the reason she and Ryan split up a few months ago, she doesn't like to think about it.

"Oh, yeah," says Ryan, clearly remembering the story about that night as well. "So, tell me one more thing. If you could go back to that time in high school, would you do anything different?"

Cate has to think for a few moments. She had never given it serious thought before.

"Knowing what I do now, I wouldn't have given Lux up for adoption. At the time, it seemed like the best thing to do. I know that if I had kept her, I would have moved out of my mother's house, as that was no place to raise a child. It would have been a tough start for her, but I think it would have been worth it."

"But your life would be very different. Would you still have gone into working at the radio station?"

"Yes, of course. I still had dreams and things that I wanted to accomplish, and having a daughter wouldn't have changed that. It just means my time wouldn't have been as free, but I have always been very ambitious, and known that I wanted. That wouldn't have changed," she answers strongly.

Ryan can only smile. One of the things that made him fall in love with her in the first place was that she knew what she wanted and went after it. He has always been like that himself, and respects it in others.

"That's just one of the things I love about you," he says, pushing his face forward and kissing his wife.

"I'm actually glad we had this talk. I didn't think I would, but it's nice to get those things out into the open," she says, surprised at her own reaction.

"Me too, but we have hit a reset on our marriage, of sorts, so it's only right that we should air out our dirty laundry. And now, I need a nap," he says, a mischievous smile on his face.

Cate shakes her head. Some things never change!


	63. Chapter 63

The next few days went quickly. That was a good thing for most people, other than Ryan. Each new day meant he was getting closer to the most uncomfortable dinner of all time: the invited guests being himself, his wife, his ex-girlfriend and her parents. Cate kept insisting that this dinner was a good thing, but he was yet to be convinced. To him, it had nightmare written all over it.

They spent the few days before the dinner getting organised. He briefed Cate on each of Julia's parents, telling her a little about the family.

"So, tell me about Julia's mother?" asks Cate as she organises her menu and grocery list. Ryan is sitting in front of her, trying to keep himself busy by answering emails.

"Her name is Francine, and she's definitely the matriarch of the family. Julia is her only child, and she interferes quite a bit in what's happening in her life."

"That's not very fair on Julia. She's a grown woman, and she has to make her own decisions in life," comments Cate. She hates to admit it, but sometimes she wishes her own mother was that diligent and interested in her life. Things are better now, but growing up her mother barely knew what time of day it was, never mind knowing what her eldest daughter was up to.

"Francine doesn't agree. This is only me guessing, but I think she tries to control Julia because she's lacking in her own life. Her life hasn't gone the way she wanted, so she needs another life to sculpt in her own way."

Cate is a little taken aback. She didn't realise her husband had given it that much thought.

"So there is no love lost between you and Francine?"

"Far from it. We never got on, even when Julia and I were dating. She always said I wasn't the right man for her daughter. I know she was elated when we broke up."

"And I'm sure she was devastated when Julia informed her she was pregnant, and that you were the father?"

"From what Julia said, Francine thought it was the worst decision she had ever made. She's still far from enamoured with me, but we'll have to see what happens," he says, mindlessly tapping on his laptop.

"What about Julia's Father?"

"Harry's a decent enough man, but he's very much under his wife's thumb. He does whatever she tells him to do, without reservation. It always annoyed me that he would blindly follow her without protesting, but I guess it works for them."

Cate leans forward and kisses her husband.

"It'll be all right, trust me. By the time this is done, Francine and Harry will be madly in love with you," she beams. To her mind, her husband is one of the nicest people on the planet, and she is intent on making sure Julia's parents see him in the same light.

Lux was over at Tasha's, helping her set the table for dinner. They had invited Jones over for dinner. He and his family have been through an enormous amount recently, and they both want to do something to make it a little easier for him. Lux hasn't seen him much since they got back together, as he has been spending all his time at home, especially now that his mother is out of hospital, and under the care of a psychiatrist.

There is a knock at the door. The two of them look at one another, both intent on making this a fun night for all of them, but particularly for Jones.

Tasha opens the door to a smiling Jones, who has a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates in his hands. He hands them over to a very happy Tasha.

"Thank you, come on in," she says, waving him through.

The second he lays eyes on Lux he throws his arms around her. He hasn't seen her since they were at Baze's loft, and it has felt like an eternity. Now that they are back together, he doesn't know how he coped with not seeing her throughout those months after they broke up.

"How are you? How's your mother?" she asks.

"She's doing really well. She's started seeing a psychiatrist. In fact, she made a bit of a break through this morning, so I think things are starting to pick up," he says excitedly.

"That's fantastic. Do you think she'll be all right after this?" asks Tasha. She doesn't really know the ins and outs of his mother's illness, relying on the bits and pieces Lux has told her.

"She'll never be completely all right, but she's getting onto a good road," he says, beaming.

Lux is elated that he seems to be so upbeat and positive about it. From all the stress and strain over the past few days, it's lovely to see things coming together again for the family.

Over dinner, Lux, Tasha and Jones chat about their plans for their last week of freedom before school starts, and what they are hoping to accomplish in their final year.

"I do not want to go back to school. I love being able to do my own thing," says Tasha strongly. She has never been a very studious person, and the closer she comes to finishing school, the more eager she is to jump to it. She has no idea what she wants to do when she does leave, and that scares her a little, but she knows she'll figure it out.

"I know the feeling, but at least it's the final year. After that, we have to work out what we want to do with the rest of our lives," answers Lux, the enormity of it suddenly occurring to her. She had never thought of it like that before. Finishing school was always a massively positive thing, the end of the nightmare that was high school. She would never have to see the people who teased her again, and she couldn't wait. But, what was she going to do with all that freedom? She looks over at Jones, who has clearly had the same revelation.

"Do you know what you want to do when you leave high school?" she asks him. His eyes hitting the floor answers her question.

"My dad wants me to go into the family business, but being a dentist is not what I see myself doing for the rest of my days."

"So do you have any ideas what you do want to do?" asks Tasha, enjoying her meal. If she does say so herself, her cooking abilities have really grown since she got her own place. And more than that, she really enjoys cooking.

"I'm not sure, that's the problem. As far as my dad is concerned, if I can't think of anything else to do, then I might as well go into the family business."

Lux watches her boyfriend intently.

"You have an idea of what you want to do though, don't you?" she asks, a small smile on her face. Jones can only let out a little laugh. She really does know him well.

"Yeah, I do. I was thinking of being a mechanic. I love tinkering with cars and motorbikes, but my dad would never go for it. He thinks it's not a very fitting career for our family."

Lux can only shake her head. She knew his family were very sophisticated and well to do, but she never imagined they would be like that. She hates to think what they would think of her.

"You can't worry about what your dad wants. You have to live your life in your own way, Jones," she says.

Jones leans forward and kisses her, making Tasha look the other way.

"Guys, seriously, I'm trying to eat my dinner here," she says, mocking horror.

The couple pull away from one another slowly, grinning. Lux can't wait for the day when Tasha meets her own Jones. Then there will be no stopping her.


	64. Chapter 64

It's the morning of the big dinner showdown, and Cate and Ryan are busy dashing around, making sure the house is looking fantastic, and making sure they have everything they need. Cate has sent Lux out with a list for a few more bits and pieces, leaving the couple alone for a few valuable minutes.

"Are you all right?" she asks Ryan as he chops some vegetables. He puts his knife down and turns to look at his wife.

"I think I'm all right actually. Now that the day is actually here, I'm feeling a little better about it. Francine and Harry are going to love me," he enthuses.

Cate tries to smile, but she's not feeling it.

"You're freaking out, aren't you?" he grins.

Cate shrugs her shoulders, reaching for what she suspects will be the first of many glasses of wine.

"Maybe," she says quietly.

Ryan gives his wife a huge hug. He knows what she's going through, as he's been going through it himself for the longest time, but he is quietly confident that it will get better. That said, he is really looking forward to climbing into his bed tonight.

Just then, Lux bursts through the front door, practically hidden behind bags of groceries.

"What did you buy? I gave you a list with five things on it," exclaims Cate, watching in horror as her daughter dumps the bags onto the kitchen counter beside her.

"I know, and I got those, but I saw a few extra things that I thought would work," she says, grinning while she lifts out a beautiful bouquet of flowers. It suddenly strikes Cate – she didn't buy any flowers for the middle of the table. She looks behind her at Ryan. He had clearly forgotten as well.

"Thank goodness you remembered some flowers, I had completely slipped my mind."

"I saw them inside the store, and thought they were lovely. I got some little cookies and chocolates to lay out on the table if someone wants something to eat before dinner, and some more orange juice. Unless I can have a little wine with dinner?" she asks, a little grin on her face. She understands why her mother doesn't allow her to drink, aside from the fact that she's too young, but she can't help but be curious.

Cate just glares at her daughter, silently answering the query. With her mother's problem with alcohol, and her own fondness for day drinking, she is going to do everything in her power to stop her daughter from drinking for as long as she can.

"Thanks Lux, I really appreciate it," says Ryan, grabbing the remaining grocery bag to see what it contains. He oohs and aahs over the cookies waiting for him in the bag. As much as he hates to admit it, he does have a real sweet tooth, especially when he's feeling stressed. This is definitely one of those times.

Baze was having his own party at the bar. Math and Jamie were working the bar, allowing him time to get to know the woman his two friends have set him up with. She seems like a nice woman, but they don't have much in common, and he is struggling to keep the conversation going.

"Why did you pick her?" he whispers to Math as his friend sets down a beer in front of him.

"Because tiny with dark features is clearly your type. She looks so much like Cate they could be twins. You can't have Cate, so we figured she was the next best thing," he replies, a wry smile on his face.

Baze looks over at the young woman again. He understands the assumption behind his friends decision, but he knows they aren't going to hit it off the way they are hoping. As much as he tries to hide it, from himself and others, the only woman he wants is Cate.

At the end of the night, he orders his date a taxi and sees her to the door. He knows she is hoping for a goodnight kiss and a plan to meet up again, but it's not going to happen. Although he's open to dating, he's not going to spend time with a woman he isn't attracted to.

Crashing down on the couch, he's joined by Math and Jamie.

"Didn't work out, huh?" comments Jamie.

"Nope. She's a nice girl, but. . . " he says, trying to find the words.

"She isn't Cate," says Math, saying the perfect words.

Baze nods.

"So then what are you going to do? You can't have Cate," asks Jamie.

Baze sighs heavily. He wishes he had an answer.

Cate, Ryan and Lux jump when they hear the front door bell ringing.

"Here we go," says Ryan, his heart jumping into his stomach. His former calm has now been replaced about a fair amount of fear.

The three of them practically take baby steps to the door, not eager for this to start. Cate takes the initiative, and throws the door open. She is greeted by three grinning faces, although it's clear that they are all forced.

Cate is a little taken aback by the likeness between Julia and her father. It's like they are two slices of the same person.

"Come on in," says Cate, the three of them standing aside so their guests can enter.

Julia and her parents move into the living room. Harry hands a bottle of wine to Ryan while Francine gives Cate a bunch of flowers.

"Thank you, you didn't have to bring anything," she says.

"We wanted to thank you for inviting us over to your lovely home for dinner. My husband and I have been eager to meet you for a long time, but we didn't know how to go about it."

Cate looks over at her husband. His comment about Francine being involved in all aspects of her daughters life was clearly very accurate.

"We'll, thank you. Would you like something to drink?"

After taking their drinks orders, Cate heads into the kitchen, leaving Ryan and Lux in the living room to entertain their guests. She is just getting the glasses down from their shelf when Julia appears beside her.

"Thank you for inviting us. It was really nice of you. I know how difficult it just have been for you."

"Why would it be difficult?"

"Because I am Ryan's ex-girlfriend, we have a baby together, and these are my slightly insane parents. It's a lot for one dinner party."

Cate can only smile. She couldn't have put it better herself.

"Yeah, I guess it is a lot, but I think we all needed to meet, don't you. With Matthew. We are going to be in one another's lives for a long time to come. At the very least we need to learn to be civil with one another," she says earnestly. She means every word of it, and it's the main reason she set up this dinner party, but she can't hide the fact that it's going to be a nerve wracking experience.


End file.
